How Paramount Security helped to run Liverpool’s Rock ‘n’ Roll weekend of Marathons

The ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series’ event took place on 23-24 October and involved full and half marathon, 10 and 5k runs and a one-mile run.

The routes were chosen to embrace Liverpool’s vibrant heritage, especially its music and sporting links, which included thousands of runners passing the Liver Building, Liverpool Town Hall, The Beatles statue, The Cavern Club and Penny Lane.

Runners also enjoyed a complete loop of Everton Football Club’s ground at Goodison Park passing through the famous Dixie Dean gates before going on to Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium and its Shankly Gates, the Kop Stand and the Hillsborough Memorial.

With wide-scale diversion and access routes in place both North and South of the city, this was another high-profile opportunity for Paramount Stewarding and Security to use its staff accredited with police powers granted by Merseyside’s Chief Constable under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS).

Road closures were implemented from 6am on both days on a rolling basis to allow police and traffic management teams to begin work on the 26-mile marathon course. Roads were only reopened after the last runner had completed the course when materials and traffic management infrastructure were removed.

With bands and DJs along the routes and an open-air concert at the end of the day, the Rock ‘n’ Roll running series is a global enterprise that seeks to provide a ‘distance for everyone’ and ‘infuses music with running to keep you moving for miles’ as well as help turn running into a team sport.

Paramount has a long history supporting the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and have a strong working relationship with Race Directors and local Council.

The event required a comprehensive traffic management plan to keep the city moving and maintain access for residents, which involved Paramount working closely with Merseyside Police Road Traffic Unit and the Traffic Management Team.

Clare Rogers, Operations, Paramount, said: “Our specially trained CSAS staff maintained a proactive and flexible role throughout to make sure the two-day event was safe and successful.

“We managed and dealt with residents and road users in a calm manner, provided clear direction, competent advice and diffused any incidents that had the potential to escalate. Our staff were also ready and available to act and deal with medical emergencies and unpredictable incidents.”

Clare added that the company’s local knowledge of the area was vital. “We had staff in Event Control working directly alongside the Emergency Services and providing invaluable support to the Road Traffic Management Team.”

For four days in October 2020, Paramount deployed their CSAS accredited staff to redirect traffic as film giants Warner Bros Studios turned the City Centre into Gotham City during four days of filming for the globally-awaited, Hollywood blockbuster simply called ‘The Batman’.

The Paramount staff have been accredited with certain police powers under CSAS, a voluntary scheme, contained in Section 40 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

The role of assessing private sector companies seeking approval to run a CSAS scheme is carried out on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), a police-owned organisation that works on behalf of the Police Service throughout the UK to deliver a wide range of crime prevention initiatives.

Police CPI carries out checks to establish whether companies are ‘fit and proper’ to exercise CSAS powers and then makes recommendations to Chief Constables in the area the scheme will operate.

It is Chief Constables in England and Wales who decide whether to accredit employed people already working in roles that contribute to maintaining and improving community safety with limited but targeted powers.

Police CPI has assessed more than 120 private sector companies seeking to run a CSAS. The scheme significantly increases the number of businesses able to deliver services that reduce low level crime and disorder whilst assisting police by easing demands on their time and resources.

PCPI Compliance Manager, Ken Meanwell, who leads on CSAS, said: “This is an another excellent example from Paramount of how CSAS powers can assist private security companies reduce disruption to the general public, assist the local police force, and help ensure the smooth and successful running of major events.”

About Paramount Stewarding and Security Ltd
Launched in 2002 by the chief stewards at Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs, Paramount Stewarding and Security today provides the security, stewarding, crowd and road management at some of the largest sports, cultural and festival events around its home town of Liverpool and throughout the UK. Its sports events include football, tennis, road running, horse racing and motor racing. In addition, it offers COVID marshalling services as well as traffic marshals and site banksman services. It is also experienced in the education sector providing security services to schools and colleges.
Tel: 0151 922 5115
https://paramountstewardingandsecurity.co.uk/

About CSAS
CSAS creates a framework for public and private bodies to work in partnership with the police, providing additional uniformed presence in communities and capitalising on the skills and information captured by those already engaged with the community. All schemes are managed, monitored and assessed at a local level by the responsible police force. Main benefits of the scheme for the Police Service include:
- increasing uniformed presence on the streets (CSAS accredited persons wear the uniform of their employing organisation, with an identification badge endorsed by the local police force)
- saving valuable police time in community safety to deal with low-level crime and disorder
- promoting greater business involvement and partnership working with the police, and allowing the police to influence the training of businesses, such as security companies.

About Police CPI
Police CPI is a police-owned organisation that works on behalf of the Police Service throughout the UK to deliver a wide range of crime prevention initiatives to reduce crime and demand on police forces as well as acting as a catalyst to bring together public and private sector organisations to create safer communities.
Tel: 0203 8623 999
Email:
http://www.policecpi.com
https://www.policecsas.com