About the campaign
We are extremely excited and proud to be running a pilot campaign in Harlow, called “Beyond the Uniform” which aims to tackle violence and aggression towards our frontline parking staff, Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs).
This externally funded campaign aims to focus on humanising CEOs, highlighting the positive impact they have in our communities and encourage respect towards them.
Over the past three years, NEPP has seen a sharp 175% rise in reported verbal and physical assaults towards its staff. This year, incidents are at their highest ever level, with incidents being reported almost daily.
CEOs face diverse forms of abuse, including spitting, racial and homophobic slurs, sexual harassment, physical threats, and even being deliberately driven at. These incidents take a significant emotional, mental, and physical toll on staff.
“Beyond the Uniform” seeks to foster respect and empathy for CEOs by highlighting their humanity. It urges the public to see beyond the uniform, recognising CEOs as individuals – parents, grandparents, and friends – who contribute positively to their communities, reminding the public our staff are real people with real lives, interests and other roles in their lives.
Campaign Events
The Hub, Harvey Shopping Centre, Harlow
Running until April, the campaign features digital and print marketing alongside pop-up community engagement events. These events will be held at The Hub in the Harvey Shopping Centre in Harlow from 10am to 2pm, on the following dates:
- Tuesday 11 February 2025
- Saturday 22 February 2025
- Tuesday 18 March 2025
Members of the public are encouraged to come along to these events to meet us and find out more about us and the valuable work our CEOs carry out in Harlow to ensure parking is safe, fair and accessible to all road users – plus they’ll even be some refreshments and giveaways for those who come along too!
Campaign materials
Our Beyond the Uniform campaign artwork humanises our CEOs and reminds the public our staff are real people with real lives, interests and other roles in their lives e.g. Safiya, who loves to bake and is also a mum, Steve, who plays the guitar and volunteers at the hospital. Our staff are real people who deserve to feel and be safe at work.
The artwork also highlights the less known positive contributions CEOs make to our communities through their roles, such as ensuring road safety for schoolchildren, enabling emergency vehicle access and maintaining accessibility for disabled individuals, among other crucial responsibilities. A challenge to the myth and public misconception that CEOs just issue Penalty Charge Notices, to make money.
For ease of understanding and to support the Positive Parking Agenda, which we are a founding member of, Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) are referred to as ‘Parking Officers’ in the campaign materials.
Funding and Partnerships
This pilot campaign is funded by PATROL’s Driving Improvement Awards, which was jointly awarded to NEPP and Brighton & Hove City Council last year. The campaign is also being piloted in Brighton and Hove and we will both share the outcomes of the pilot in our areas with PATROL. Once the evaluation is complete, we hope that this campaign will become a nationwide initiative later this year, reflecting a shared commitment to protecting frontline workers and fostering respect for their essential contributions.
Staff experiences of abuse
Below are some examples of abuse that our staff have experienced, which they have shared as part of this campaign:
“When I was a CEO as I was issuing a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) the driver returned and just got in the vehicle ignoring me he then went to drive off as I was attaching the PCN the forward momentum of the vehicle meant my finger got caught in the window wiper and I was dragged along off my feet against the car.”
“Some say that “the verbal abuse is part of the job”. I’m sorry it isn’t. It’s not in my job description or my contract. Yes we may expect it, but we shouldn’t think this way.”
“On a hot, sunny Bank Holiday in Clacton-on-Sea, I was called a “jobsworth c**t” and told I would get my head “smashed in” with a beer bottle if I DID NOT issue a PCN to a vehicle that was not parked in contravention!”
“I’ve been physically assaulted, two times a car has been driven at me. I’ve had people threaten to rape and kill my family, been told to die of cancer and spat at multiple times.”
“I have had a number of bad experiences whilst on patrol. I have been driven at multiple times, in one instance they even mounted the pavement to do it, spat at and called every name under the sun. My worst experience was in Buckhurst Hill. I was patrolling a one hour restriction and booked a car for being on the SYL. The driver returned and went to get in his car whilst verbally abusing me and telling me that he hoped my mum died of cancer. He then suddenly came at me and pinned me up against the railings of the house I was outside. He had his arm across my chest and was looking me in the face, I honestly thought he was about to hit me and I was going to go down. There was then a moment in his face where I believe he realised what he was doing and he stepped back and left.”
Protecting our staff
We take a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of abuse and are committed to safeguarding our staff through comprehensive safety training, equipment and procedures. Support services are available for employees who experience abuse, and we collaborate with staff and the police to pursue successful prosecutions. A recent example is the 12-month suspended sentence given to an individual who racially attacked a CEO in Colchester.
Details of the actions we take to protect our frontline staff can be found on this webpage.
More information
We’ll be sharing lots more news and updates during the campaign so keep an eye on our channels and in Harlow over the coming months.
News
Keep up to date with the latest news from the North Essex Parking Partnership.
Protecting Our Staff
Learn more about the steps we take to help keep our frontline staff safe whilst out on patrol.