South Bank Patrol service wins national security award

South Bank Employers' Group and The Shield Guarding Company were crowned winners in the security partnership initiative category at the 2011 national Security Excellence Awards presented last week at the Hilton in Park Lane.

"South Bank Patrol has proven to be an extremely innovative and successful service that has a vast range of responsibility in an exceptionally busy area of London," said the judges in their citation.

"This award is also a credit to the foresight and commitment of South Bank Employers' Group and the Metropolitan Police team in the South Bank as well as the patrol team itself. It is worthy recognition of some exceptional partnership working between, police, security professionals and businesses."

The South Bank Patrol operates 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is similar to community warden services provided by many councils but is unusual in being commissioned and run by private sector organisations.

The service covers the section of riverside between Lambeth Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.

SBEG's security and risk manager David Clark and Eric Dench, chair of South Bank Business Watch, collected the award on behalf of the team on the night.

"I'm incredibly proud that the team won this award," says David Clark.

"It is true testimony to their hard work and dedication. This award is based on partnership and it's also thanks to the commitment of the police and businesses that this has been achieved."

The award will be formally presented to the South Bank Patrol team by Eric Dench at the next South Bank Business Watch meeting.

Last year the private security guards were granted limited police powers under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme.