Colchester residents say they have “never felt unsafe” when visiting the city centre and feel plans for a private security team to patrol the area aren’t needed.
Operation Vanguard, a new scheme announced by Essex County Council, will see security operatives deployed in three towns and city centres to provide a visible presence, reassure the public, and help deter antisocial behaviour.
It follows on from public concern about asylum seekers being transported daily from Wethersfield Asylum Centre to Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford.
The centre currently houses around 800 men, with plans to increase capacity to 1,245 and potentially up to 1,700.
Colchester Council leader Paul Dundas has welcomed any additional resources that support community safety but says the authority has already been investing in neighbourhood wardens for months now.
Gazette readers have shared their views, with many claiming the city centre is safe.
On Operation Vanguard, Lola Shah said: “This is alarmist racism, demonising asylum seekers.
“Asylum seekers and refugees have lived side by side with local people in Colchester for hundreds if not thousands of years.
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“The most dangerous people are often white, Hitler, Mussolini.”
Angela Linghorn-Baker said: “It can be intimidating if there are large groups of any people congregating anywhere but people do that in town and city centres.
“There is probably a sensible way to resolve this so there's not big groups but I certainly don’t think security guards would help people feel safe, it just adds to the fear and the perception.”
Steve Townshend said: “I have always felt safe in Colchester until I heard that a bunch of unaccountable thugs are likely to be wandering around deciding who is a threat.”
Jon Williams said: “Never felt unsafe.
“Essex Police deal with any and all incidents, not selected ones depending on who is believed to be involved."
Jane Margaret Wilson said: “I have never felt unsafe in Colchester centre in all of my decades of living here.
“The reduction of traffic in the High Street has really been an improvement, I suspect far fewer pedestrians injured. The Open Road bus also a huge asset.”
Hazel Humphreys: “I feel safe in Colchester city centre in daytime.
“At night it can be unpleasant mainly due to drunk Brits being lairy.”
Mr Dundas added in his statement that the transport of residents from Wethersfield is a Home Office arrangement, not requested by the council, but said efforts have been made to manage the impact locally.
Essex County Council Leader Councillor Peter Harris said community safety concerns have been particularly strong among women and girls due to regular gatherings of asylum seekers in town centres.
The county council is in the process of contracting a security company for the three-month trial.
He also criticised the induction process at Wethersfield as "woefully inadequate" in setting expectations for behaviour, especially towards women and girls.
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