Bath’s Night Marshal Scheme has been hailed a great success by the Director of Public Health for B&NES following a visit to watch the Marshals in action on Friday evening.
Dr Bruce Laurence, who is responsible for promoting health and well-being, accompanied Bath BID’s Manager Andrew Cooper to spend the evening on the streets of Bath on one of the busiest nights of the year, and witness first-hand the value of the Bath BID Night Marshals in the city.
The BID Night Marshal scheme in the city was established by the Bath BID and is jointly funded by the BID and BANES. The BID Night Marshal’s role is to assist people in the city centre in the evening, as well as manning a taxi system at Orange Grove, they also administer medical attention and ensure drunken behaviour does not get out of hand.
The knock on effect from the presence of the BID Night Marshals is a significant reduction in the pressure on our local emergency services, figures from the BID show that early intervention by the BID Night Marshal’s prevented the police being called to 581 incidents in the period 2nd August 2012 to 31st October 2013 and similarly medical attention ensured the ambulance service was spared 77 journeys.
On a typical week the BID Night Marshals help around 2,000 people and Andrew Cooper believes the city offers a far better and safer experience for their presence.
He said “Having Night Marshal’s visible on the street gives everyone a sense a safety and some lightweight supervision which just helps the busy evenings tick over more smoothly.
“It is really important that a night in Bath offers a good experience and people want to return and enjoy the city again and again which is why we have invested in assisting those businesses that rely on the night time economy.
“The Night Marshal’s are part of our overall BID Nightwatch initiative which links the Marshals, the licenses and police by radio and CCTV and helps everyone spot issues early on and deal with them efficiently.”
Dr Bruce Laurence added: “Bath is a lively place on a Friday night and with so many Christmas revellers and parties on the go it was great to see the Marsha’s in action, not only helping to get people home safely but showing genuine concern for everyone’s well-being.
“They are saving us considerable resource by relieving the pressure on our local emergency services and are therefore a good investment and a welcome addition to our streets.
“I was also particularly impressed by the way in which the Marshals, whether walking around the city centre or managing the taxi ranks, work alongside many others, such as the Street Pastors, the police, the ambulance service, the doormen of our pubs and clubs and the CCTV controllers in the city.
“By coordinating all their efforts, these folk keep our nightlife well managed in a friendly and discrete way, so that punters can enjoy themselves safely in our wonderful city.
“I wouldn’t be a Director of Public Health if I didn’t add that while the vast majority of people were well in control of themselves, there were a few who we met who had drunk far too much alcohol and who could have got into serious trouble without the help of their friends or the Marshals and ambulance men.
“Of course we know that drinking is often part of a good night out, but please stop short of oblivion, and ensure that you have a plan for getting home safely.”
Throughout the year Night Marshal’s are present on Friday and Saturday nights. Over the Christmas period they will also be present on Thursdays as well as on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and there will be an increased number of Marshal’s and Medics in place.
