Special powers
Security boss Colin Tribe aims to ensure Brighton Marina is even safer now that he also patrols as a special constable. Frank le Duc reports
Colin Tribe’s manor is Brighton Marina. The 44-year-old former soldier is the security manager for the Brighton Marina Estate Management Company. But once or twice a week he can be found patrolling off site. Since signing up to be a special constable, he has been trained by Sussex Police and assigned to the East Brighton Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Mr Tribe has worked at the Marina for 12 years and manages a core team of a dozen security staff, with extra help at weekends and during busy spells. His office is open 24 hours a day and, among other things, staff there monitor the CCTV footage and patrol the site. When he goes off duty at work, he can sometimes still be found on site – in uniform – thanks to his new role.
He trained as a special constable under the Employer Supported Policing Scheme. So he gets some time off for training and patrolling with Sussex Police. But he aims to match the time off that his bosses give him by volunteering in his spare time for shifts – and the hours match those of regular officers.
The experience brings benefits all round. Sussex Police has a volunteer who knows part of his patch – and the people on that patch – incredibly well. He has also begun to learn the names and faces of some of the people who come into contact with the police elsewhere in Brighton, making him more vigilant in his day job. And then there’s his knowledge of the law.
“I’ve never known so much law in all my life,” he said. “Being able to defuse a situation because of the law, and what you know, is quite incredible. Of course, lifetime experience is valuable too. Sometimes you’ve got no choice and you have to effect an arrest but that’s not always the most successful outcome. The powers you carry are very privileged. It’s a very serious thing taking someone’s liberty.”
Special constables have the same powers of arrest as a full-time police officer. But it takes time to learn not just the law but the many other skills required to do the job. He signed up almost three years ago, went on day release from work to complete 150 hours of training and has so far passed 20 accreditations. They include when and how to carry out a stop and search, dealing with a road accident and handling violent conflict.
Mr Tribe wanted to be in the Royal Military Police, like his grandfather. He ended up serving in the 1st Battalion the Queen’s Regiment – formerly the Royal Sussex Regiment and now the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Becoming a special constable has fulfilled something of a long-held ambition although he likes his job too much to join the police full-time.
“In my day job I’m a manager and when I put my uniform on I go back on the frontline. People say to me, ‘Do you really like going back on the frontline?’ Yes! It keeps me young. Security here is low-key and proactive. The police role is enhancing it.”
In a few weeks’ time (Sunday 19 August) he will be in uniform on Hove Lawns for 999 Day. Among other things Colin will be highlighting the dangers of ‘tombstoning’ – the practice of jumping from a great height into water. There has been at least one incident this summer, although the poor weather has probably helped dampen enthusiasm for the risky activity. He’s also visited the Crew Club in Whitehawk and community projects in Moulsecoomb. He said: “We’ve taken a group fishing to show them what you can do safely off the arm. We’ve got a lot to offer here and we want people to come and appreciate it and to enjoy it safely and with respect.
“One of the aims of the Marina was to be able to give me to the local community. The Marina is very well looked after by the security team and the police. When I’m on duty (as a special) invariably it’s not down here but should a problem arise we can tackle it.” Since becoming a special Colin hasn’t had to arrest anyone at the Marina. Not surprisingly, he’s hoping that it will stay that way.
