Andover BID Rangers recover nearly £5k of stolen goods

When the non-essential shops reopened on 12 April, the Andover BID Rangers were on hand to keep the town centre safe and secure.

In the month of April alone, they went on to deal with more than 430 occurrences of antisocial behaviour and recovered almost £5,000 of stolen stock.

The town security team, supplied by Venture Security, were first introduced in September 2020 and continue to ensure that Andover town centre is a safe place to shop and eat, while providing local businesses with security support for their premises.

Examples of the type of incidents the Rangers deal with include:

• Special patrols around Babbage House, where youths have been gaining access. The Rangers obtained contact details, which they passed on to Test Valley Borough Council and letters were sent out to parents. 

• They dealt with an incident at the old M&S building, where youths had gaining access to the roof, went inside the building and let off fire extinguishers.

• They have provided first aid on a number of occasions, including supporting a female who had suffered a seizure until paramedics arrived.

• They assisted with an incident involving a lost child, aged five years old, which involved police intervention.

• They monitor Riverside Park for antisocial behaviour, which can be a particular problem in the warmer months.

Steve Godwin, Andover BID, commented: “Because the Rangers have become an established part of the town centre, they have managed to get under the skin of many of the daily problems.

“A uniformed presence is not only reassuring to members of the public but a great community asset for businesses and other agencies. The rangers have become a familiar presence who know the town inside out and understand the needs of our local people and businesses. The impressive report for April just demonstrates the range of issues they deal with on a daily basis.”

He added: “These are fully trained professionals, friendly and intuitive, working closely with the police and other agencies whilst at all times maintaining a calm and receptive approach to the needs of local businesses and people.”

Paul Howe, MD at Venture Security, said: “We continue to be incredibly proud of our town and city centre security teams, who are out there making a difference every day.”

For more information about our town and city centre security team, please call 01264 391538.

(This blog is based on an article that was original published by Love Andover.)