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Essex Police have appeared to contradict Reform-run Essex Council’s suggestions that parts of the county are unsafe due to asylum seekers being hosted at the former RAF Wethersfield base.
On Friday, Essex County Council’s Cabinet member for Education, SEND and Skills – and Basildon mayor – Cllr Sam Journet announced on X that Reform UK Essex has launched “Operation Vanguard”. He claimed it would “[put] security personnel on the streets of Colchester, Chelmsford and Braintree to help protect residents and provide a visible presence.”
“We were elected to put residents first, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”
In September last year, Cllr Journet was arrested on suspicion of stalking, harassment and assault in Basildon Council offices. He was not charged and subsequently faced no further action. The police admitted error in not seizing his devices at the time.
Wethersfield Airfield Asylum Accommodation (AAA) currently accommodates “up to” 800 people who are seeking asylum, according to the council. The Reform-run authority claims the Government is “seeking an increase in the number of people who can be accommodated at the site to 1,245, potentially increasing numbers by up to sixty additional people per week.”
Cllr Journet’s apparently AI-generated graphic promoting ‘Operation Vanguard’ shows a cobbled high street at dusk, lined with period buildings, shopfronts, cafés and a Union Jack flag. Reform UK’s branding is prominent, followed by large headline text saying “Security on Our Streets”, and beneath that “Protecting Residents in Colchester, Chelmsford, Braintree”.
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Three white people in matching dark navy uniforms have “Communty Security” printed on their chests in the image.
Over the weekend, Cllr Journet shared multiple images of brown and black people with their faces pixelated, who were apparently asylum seekers, to promote the scheme. In one he writes: “Every day, illegal migrants are being bussed into town centres across Essex. Residents are entitled to ask what that means for their community. Reform UK’s Operation Vanguard is about prevention, visible security and protecting women and girls.”
But asked about the scheme, an Essex Police spokesperson appeared to slap down the suggestions that the areas being targeted by the new council ‘Operation’ are unsafe.
“Braintree, Colchester, and Chelmsford town and city centres are safe places, and all three areas see less crime than three years ago.
“Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams regularly patrol through the town centres each day, including at key times, for reassurance and to deter people from committing crime or anti-social behaviour,” Essex Police told Byline Times.
The police spokesperson added: “Where incidents do take place, we respond and act robustly. We continue to work with our partners, including local authorities, to ensure the public feel safe.”
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The spokesperson did not endorse the council scheme – and in fact appeared to distance the force from the Reform project. The spokesperson said: “The most effective way to achieve this is by addressing concerns or points of tension within our communities and to resolve them through this joined-up approach.
“We have a dedicated unit based at RAF Wethersfield who is there to support the local surrounding community and deal with issues linked to the site.”
Half-Cooked
A decision notice published by Essex Council also appears to contradict the council’s official press release and the claims of Cllr Journet.
The decision was signed by leader Cllr Harris on 28 August but remains subject to a three-day call-in that does not expire until 3 September – meaning it can’t take effect until after the scheme was publicly announced. For ‘stakeholder involvement’ the box is blank.
The decision means the council agrees to the drawdown of up to £150,000 from the Community Innovation and Improvement Fund reserve in 2026/27 “to fund a visible security operation in the public realm in Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester for a period of three months, to maintain a visible presence to reassure the public.”
The council will “enter into a contract for the delivery of the security operation.”
And in a clear sign Essex Police were not consulted, it commits to: “Develop[ing] a working protocol with Essex Police that will be adapted based on experience during the trial period.”
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The Council’s Case
The official press release by the council states: “Essex County Council’s Leader has announced a plan to introduce security to three town and city centres to provide reassurance to residents, with the number of asylum seekers at the Home Office’s Wethersfield accommodation centre set to increase by more than 50%.
“Operation Vanguard is being announced in response to community concerns regarding the gatherings of men who are resident at the base and are bussed into Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford town centres on a daily basis.”
The Leader of Essex County Council, Councillor Peter Harris, said in the statement: “Concerns for community safety are clearly there, particularly among women and girls, because of the daily gatherings of asylum seekers – gatherings which will increase in number and size as the facility expands.
“I have voiced these concerns directly to the Home Office, which now runs a fleet of 17 minibuses to the three nearest towns and cities on a daily basis.”
He also claimed, without providing evidence, that “the induction process which migrants undergo at the centre is in my view woefully inadequate, especially on their introduction to British culture and the expectations we have of acceptable behaviour toward to [sic] women and girls.”
Cllr Harris added: “We are not prepared to sit on our hands and wait for the next incident. We are taking action.” No detail was provided of the alleged “incidents” involving asylum seekers.
He also appeared to criticise “the levels of comfort and activities the facility provided” at RAF Wethersfield, suggesting there was no need for asylum seekers to go into town centres.
But despite Cllr Harris’ claims of avoiding “the next incident” involving asylum seekers, a report published by the council alongside it appears to contradict his claims.
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Perception Over Reality?
The report, “Launch of Operation Vanguard”, frames the issue as one of “perceived” threats, stating that the question is “not whether individual people represent a risk” but whether the arrivals create “a significant fear of crime.” No examples are provided of crimes committed locally by asylum seekers.
It goes on: “The issue is therefore not whether individual people represent a risk, but whether the arrival and departure of significant numbers of people at specific locations in key town/city centre locations creates a significant fear of crime and makes residents feel unsafe and the impact this can have on footfall in our main business centres.”
These appear to be exactly the sort of fears Reform councillors are propagating on social media.
The report also admits that the security officers “will have no more powers to take any action than a member of the public and they will need to be visible without intruding upon anyone’s lawful activities. Any need for law enforcement will need to be led by Essex Police.”
And the council report points only to “anecdotal evidence” that “the presence of this community of asylum seekers creates a fear and perception of a risk of crime”.
The report also notes the Home Office position on the asylum site, noting: “Wethersfield has a specialist security provider operating 24/7, CCTV and other security systems are deployed at the site, people entering and leaving the site are recorded, criminality checks are undertaken, the site works with Essex Police and other partners, transport is provided into local communities where necessary, and there is no evidence of Wethersfield AAA having an impact on crime levels.”
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The Equality Impact Assessment also appears to flip Reform councillors’ arguments on their head – suggesting the real risk is to, not from, asylum seekers. On Friday, Cllr Journet shared a Telegraph article headlined: ‘Reform council hires security guards to protect public from migrants’, a supposed “response to fears over gatherings of male asylum seekers in Essex city centres.”
But justifying the launch of Operation Vanguard, the council Equality Impact Assessment states: “There is a risk that if the communications are not well handled, asylum seekers living there will feel targeted and could be vulnerable to attacks from other members of the public. It is therefore important to ensure that publicity around this measure does not inflame the situation. There is also a risk of outside interference fuelling tensions. The security measures should be positive to keep everyone safe and promote a respectful environment.”
The impact assessment rates the project’s impacts on “race” as both positive and negative, and the only characteristic besides sex rated as having a ‘medium’ effect. The EqIA has not yet been formally approved, despite the flurry of right-wing press coverage and statements from senior Reform figures on the ‘Operation’. GB News has covered the announcement extensively, and largely uncritically.
The same day this was released, Councillor Journet wrote on X: “WOMEN AND GIRLS DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE. Operation Vanguard and Reform UK will protect them from rape, sexual violence and harassment, including crimes committed by illegal migrants.”
Essex County Council is expected to provide a detailed response to further questions on Thursday. We will update this story. Cllr Journet and Reform in Essex have been contacted for comment.
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