In April 2006 Better Bankside appointed leading security company Wilson James to put in place a new uniformed patrolling service for the Business Improvement District area.

Four full time Rangers and two back-up Rangers (to cover for holiday periods and times of peak demand) now patrol from 8.00am to 8.00pm, seven days a week.

The Rangers are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Better Bankside team. They monitor environmental and safety issues, as well as anti-social behaviour, calling in a response either from Better Bankside’s cleaners, or from statutory bodies such as Southwark Council’s Enforcement Service, the Metropolitan Police, and the Street Population Outreach Team.

The Rangers also advise businesses on crime prevention, promoting Better Bankside events and initiatives, helping and directing visitors.

In the first 8 months of the service the Rangers:

• dealt with over 1,000 incidents of street sleeping and begging
• assisted over 2,600 visitors to Bankside
• visited 650 businesses
• made 244 new business contacts.

Better Bankside will further develop the Rangers service to work even more closely with businesses. It will create an area-wide safety network, improve radio links between front-line staff, and assist businesses to secure their premises in response to the relatively high level of business-related crime within the SE1 area.