Vertical Markets

Shopping centre team award

by Mark Rowe

The Mercury shopping centre in Romford won ‘Security team of the Year’ at the Sceptre Awards 2019 that mark best practice in UK and Irish shopping centres.

The security staff at the east London centre, by contractor Axis Security, are credited by the Centre Manager, Spencer Hawken, with maintaining a safe and welcoming place for its elderly demographic as well as teens who visit at the weekend. He says: “The Mercury security team is a welcoming presence in Romford. As knife crime moves east from London into our quiet suburb, we need to be vigilantly creating a safe environment. Thanks to our team’s dedication, we have been able to avoid the problems suffered by neighbouring areas.”

Axis says that its approach to officer training is to use SIA-badge and conflict management training – allowing the team the skills and confidence to take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour on site. The Mercury has a ‘community’ shopping centre idea, to retain and nurture a youth presence. Spencer says: “In addition to traditional security duties, the team takes an active role in our community. Officers have helped to set up and run a quarterly gaming league for teenagers, giving the officers an opportunity to show that they are approachable, that they are a friend, and not a threat to this vulnerable demographic.”

As for recorded crime, from 2018 to 2019 the number of anti-social behaviour incidents reduced by 19 percent; and the number of assaults on site for the same period reduced by 47pc. Security officers members are also trained in customer service, autism awareness and dementia. Spencer says: “This has led to the site receiving an autism friendly award in 2018, and undoubtedly contributes to the security team being the town’s most approachable and visible centre security team.”

The centre management reports that tenants are complimentary of the security team’s flexible and active approach and it is supportive of the wider community, with managers sitting on town ‘crime’ consortiums. The team work with the London borough of Havering’s ‘Safe and Sound’ initiative to improve town security links and have voluntarily taken the lead in town terrorism simulations.

David Mundell, Axis Security Managing Director says: “We have a highly professional and approachable team who are delighted to see their hard work recognised and held up as the best in the shopping centre industry. Their ongoing contribution to the community and approach to zero tolerance on anti-social behaviour is making a real difference to the people who visit and work in the shopping centre.”

The team was presented with the award at a ceremony at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House on Thursday, June 20. The others on the short-list were:

St Anns, Harrow;
Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Macclesfield;
Water Gardens Shopping Centre, Harlow;
Ayr Central, Ayr;
Culver Square, Colchester; and
The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol.

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