Local businessman Peter McCormack has announced he will personally fund private security patrols in Bedford town centre every Saturday in August, saying residents and businesses have “been let down” by Bedfordshire Police’s failure to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.
The Real Bedford football club owner and town centre entrepreneur, who runs Real Coffee and the Auction Room cocktail bar, told the Bedford Independent he is launching the pilot scheme to make the town “safer and more inviting, especially for women and children”.
“I love this town. But the police have utterly failed in their job to protect the people here,” he said. “We can all see the crackheads, the alcoholics, the aggressive begging, the shoplifting. People feel unsafe, and they’re not coming into the town centre. If the police won’t fix it, I will.”
Read: Bedford business owner tells Bedfordshire Police ‘tackle crime or we’ll do it ourselves’
Deterrence
McCormack has hired 10 private security guards from Bedford-based Belmont Guard to patrol on foot and monitor key entrances to the town centre car parks.
He says the guards will be uniformed, friendly, and focus on visibility and deterrence, but they are prepared to intervene under existing citizens’ arrest powers if necessary.
Belmont Guard offer a number of ‘security solutions’, including ‘Response & Patrols’, which their website says serves “as a highly effective crime deterrent”, which can be “tailored” to “suit your needs”.
“This isn’t vigilantism,” he insisted. “We’re not breaking the law. We’re stepping in where the police are failing. I want this to spark a civic movement where residents, businesses, the council and the police all work together to take our town back.”
McCormack says the pilot will cost him over £10,000, and he has invited businesses and residents to a public meeting on Thursday, 24 July, 7pm at Real Coffee, 68 Bedford High Street, to discuss ways the community can support and expand the scheme if it works.
When pressed on how he would measure whether the scheme had been a success, McCormack admitted he didn’t yet have a firm answer.
“That’s a very good question,” he said, outlining plans to gather anecdotal feedback from businesses on whether they saw any uplift in trade, and to speak to shoppers on the final Saturday to gauge their feelings of safety and satisfaction.
He acknowledged the need for “both qualitative and quantitative data,” but emphasised that his main goal was to spark a wider civic movement.
“I can’t do this as a one‑man army,” he said, urging more residents, businesses and the council to get involved if the pilot is to make a lasting impact.
Collaboration
The announcement comes just weeks after Bedfordshire Police and partners, including Bedford Borough Council, launched the Summer Policing Plan, promising more visible patrols and a crackdown on shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and drug crime.
Read: Bedfordshire Police face criticisms head on with launch of Summer Policing Plan
But McCormack dismissed the summer plan as “hot air,” accusing police of inaction. “The police have resources for photo ops, but not for actual enforcement. They’ve lost the confidence of businesses, women feel unsafe, and the town is decaying.
“This isn’t just about safety, it’s about the soul of Bedford. We need people to want to come back to the town centre, to spend money, to support our businesses. That starts with making it feel safe.”
Chief Superintendent Jaki Whittred, who leads on local policing, defended the force’s efforts, pointing to recent successes.
“Bedford has seen some incredibly positive results from this initiative so far, including more than £150,000 worth of drugs and £200,000 worth of stolen goods seized, 30 warnings, notices and fixed penalties issued, as well as action taken against those illegally riding e-scooters throughout the town,” she said.
She added, “While this is a summer initiative, we are implementing measures that will allow us to maintain this service level long term. This will include recruiting a further 20 officers as detailed in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which was announced earlier this year.”
Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard was more blunt, calling McCormack’s scheme “a political stunt”.
“At a time when antisocial behaviour is at a long-term low in Bedford Town Centre and the collaborative Bedfordshire Police and Borough Council safer streets, safer town centre campaign is underway, this looks like a political stunt,” said Tizard.
Adding, “Keeping our town centres safe is the responsibility of publicly accountable police and local authorities, not private individuals. Let’s support the police and council and in so doing support local residents and businesses.”
When the Bedford Independent challenged McCormack that crime and antisocial behaviour are not solely police issues, and that the council and other agencies also have a role to play, he conceded, “That’s fair, the council are stuck in a difficult position because of central government funding cuts.
“But they’ve made bad decisions too, like putting HMOs in the town centre, which have become crack dens. Yes, the council can and should do more. But ultimately, policing the streets is the police’s job, and they are failing.”
Concerns over private security
Critics have warned against creeping reliance on privately funded security. Asked if he was creating a “dystopian” precedent, McCormack said: “We’re already in dangerous territory because the police aren’t doing their job.
If Bedford becomes a ghost town, it’s over. This is a civic response, not a takeover. I shouldn’t have to do this. But if not me, then who?”
He added, “I hope the police see what we’re doing and step up. But until they do, we’ll step in.”
The Mayor’s office and Bedford Borough Council were approached but declined to comment.
McCormack’s pilot scheme will begin on Saturday, 3 August and run each Saturday through the month. He says feedback from businesses and residents will help determine whether it continues beyond August.
A public meeting for anyone interested in supporting or helping with the initiative will take place on Thursday, 24 July at 7pm at Real Coffee, 68 High Street, Bedford.
