Announcing my private security pilot for Bedford Town Centre - - - - - - - - - - - Starting this August, I’m personally funding a pilot project to provide private security in Bedford. Every Saturday, 10 guards will patrol the town centre and oversee safe parking at Lurke Street. Why? Because the police have failed us. More crackheads, more aggressive beggars, more shoplifters, and therefore fewer people coming into town. Women are being harassed, shops are closing and families no longer feel safe. We’re paying our taxes and business rates, but the police aren’t delivering. I put the police on notice regarding this. Since then, we’ve seen two visible deployments, one with a camera crew. I'm sorry but PR stunts do not make us safe. I’ve surveyed locals. The message is clear: people are avoiding town because they’re sick of the decline and fear for their safety. The top of the high street is now an open drinking den, with fights, puking and anti-social behaviour rampant. It is not acceptable that our kids have to witness this and parents navigate it. This is just the start. I want this to spark a civic response. Join me. On Thursday 24th July, 7pm, I’m hosting a meeting at Real Coffee. We’ll talk action: security, community clean-ups, local events, everything. I’ll be out there myself early on Saturdays, picking up rubbish before the guards even arrive. As I promised, if the police won't keep the town safe for our women and children, I will. I can't do this on my own though, I need the support of our town: every visit, meal, mooch in a local shop puts money into local companies, if we spend with them, rather than online and with the big supermarkets, we can regenerate our town economically and support the hard working local entrepreneurs. Without help and support from locals this will fail, as will our town centre. This is all part of my five-point manifesto for Bedford. Step one: restore public order. No public order, no town. If we don’t act now, the high street dies, local businesses collapse, and Bedford becomes a ghost town. Please join our meeting and support the plan. bedfordindependent.co.uk/bus…