Private policing firms have expanded rapidly across Britain as some communities and business districts pay for subscription services that provide uniformed patrols, rapid response and CCTV monitoring alongside conventional police forces.
The model drew public attention after two uniformed employees of My Local Bobby restrained a suspected knifeman who, police say, attacked an 11-year-old girl in Leicester Square on Aug. 12, 2024. The men, identified only as Youssouf and Darren by the company, were wearing the firm’s red livery when they intervened; the suspected attacker, a Romanian national, has been charged with attempted murder and is facing trial.
My Local Bobby, founded in 2016 by former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector David McKelvey, now employs about 150 uniformed 'bobbies' and 24 plain-clothes detectives, the company says. It operates paid "beats" in parts of London and neighbouring counties and offers household subscriptions that McKelvey said range from £30 to £125 a month. The service includes dedicated mobile numbers for each beat, neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, CCTV monitoring at a control room the firm calls "the Citadel," and twice-yearly training in restraints and handcuff use.
Under U.K. law private security personnel, like members of the public, can only perform citizens’ arrests and are permitted to use "reasonable force" where necessary under the Criminal Law Act. Companies such as My Local Bobby emphasise they act as first responders and often deal with low-level crimes that callers feel the police will not attend promptly, including shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and some forms of violent incidents.
Supporters of the private-police model point to trends that they say help explain customer demand. Retail theft has been blamed for significant losses across the high street, with one estimate placing the annual cost at about £2.2 billion. Official figures show 530,643 shoplifting offences logged last year, about 20 per cent higher than the 2023 total. A landmark review of public attitudes published last month found falling confidence in police over the past decade: in a survey of some 32,000 people, 49 per cent described their local force as doing a "good or excellent job," down from 62 per cent ten years earlier. Only 11 per cent said they saw a police officer on patrol at least once a week, compared with 29 per cent a decade ago.
The Metropolitan Police has lost officers in recent years; police forces across England and Wales have cited recruitment and retention pressures. Recorded crime clearance rates have also fallen: statistics show that 5.7 per cent of reported crimes were solved in 2022, compared with 29 per cent in 2010, a decline that has been raised in public debate about policing capacity.
Business improvement districts and residential estates have been among the early customers. Jonny Dyson, a board member of The Junction BID in Clapham Junction, south-west London, told the Mail that a rise in shoplifting and a perceived drop in street-level policing influenced the decision to subscribe. "It just feels like when it comes to petty crime, everyone is just accepting it. There's no deterrent, there's nobody stopping anybody," he said.
Company figures and customer anecdotes are not independently verified across all operating areas. My Local Bobby said some neighbourhoods where it patrols have seen dramatic reductions in reported incidents compared with wider borough figures. For example, the firm says the Hutton Mount suburb of Brentwood recorded two incidents in a period in which the broader Brentwood area reported hundreds, including car thefts and burglaries. Critics and some residents caution that private patrols may have unintended consequences. One long-term west London resident who declined the service said a visible private policing presence could signal wealth and attract criminal attention.
Other firms have entered the market. Blueline Security operates in the Home Counties, Dorset-based Safeguard Force describes itself as a volunteer-based patrol group working with local police, and Birmingham-based The Shield offers surveillance and "special ops" capabilities, according to their public materials. Models vary from commercially staffed operations to volunteer forces that say they support, rather than replace, statutory policing.
Legal and regulatory questions remain central to the debate. Private policing firms operate in a framework that limits their powers compared with sworn officers. Police leaders and some legal experts have warned of risks when private providers take on roles that blur lines of accountability, while supporters argue community-funded services respond to real needs where public resources are constrained.
David McKelvey said his company exists to fill a gap left by reduced police visibility. "There is a gap in policing and all we've done is come along and fill that gap," he told the Mail, noting his workforce includes many former police and military personnel. Local authorities, police forces and national policymakers face choices about whether to regulate, partner with, or restrict the activities of private patrols as demand grows and communities seek alternative answers to public-safety concerns.
As private security outfits expand, the balance between community demand for visible deterrence and the legal, ethical and social implications of privately supplied policing will continue to shape discussion about public safety across Britain.