w/c 2nd August 2021
Many of Southend’s residents and businesses will be familiar with our dedicated team of Street Rangers. This group of people are heavily involved in assisting with retail crime and anti-social behaviour in Southend town centre and across the seafront.
Last week, I introduced you to Street Ranger, Josh. This week, I wanted to shine a light on all that Andrew does for the community in his role as Street Ranger.
Andrew, a qualified self-defence teacher who is passionate about self-development and self-awareness, spotted an ad for our Street Ranger position nine years ago. He felt that the role would be well suited to his skillset and offer him the opportunity to give something back to the community. When asked to share his insight into why he is passionate about supporting the area, Andrew said: “My favourite part of the job is getting out and about in the local area. I get a real kick out of meeting new people and knowing I’ve helped someone in some way.”
Day-to-day, Andrew’s role as Street Ranger involves keeping an eye on vulnerable people locally by providing advice on where they can get support. Our Street Rangers’ presence helps to prevent shoplifting incidents, but Andrew is also on hand to assist and help resolve the situation should these events occur.
Over the last nine years, there have been some particularly poignant situations that stick in my mind that are testament to Andrew’s dedication and proactive approach to the job, and that is his response to those most vulnerable in our society. Andrew has been present in situations where someone has attempted to take their own lives and thanks to his fast and courageous response, luckily, he has been instrumental in intervening and speaking to these people to ensure this wasn’t a decision they went on to make. We are very fortunate to have someone as calm and compassionate as Andrew on our team.
When he’s not working, Andrew unwinds with a movie and loves nothing more than getting outdoors – he’s also partial to leisurely drive along the Southend seafront!
To Andrew and all our Street Rangers I say a massive thank you; their support has been unwavering throughout the pandemic as they work to help keep Southend covid-secure, safe and clean.