A Cathedral Quarter Ranger who has walked 40,000 miles whilst patrolling the streets of Derby has received a long service award.
Jon McKenzie, 44, celebrated his 16-year milestone this week and says one of his first jobs in 2010 was preparing for the late Queen’s visit to Derby.
He said: “I had to assist the police and ensure that Derby was fully prepared to welcome her.
“We were looking down manholes and sealing them up for security reasons and on the day, I helped to control the crowd. Lucky for me, I did catch a glimpse of her. This was an amazing start to my new job.”
Jon is a Ranger for the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID), which is based in the University of Derby’s Cavendish Building.
He has clocked up thousands of hours patrolling the streets of Derby – serving the city, welcoming visitors and supporting local businesses.
Jon said: “When I accepted the job as a Ranger I didn’t really know what to expect. I was new to Derby and had no idea exactly what Derby was all about.
“Now I can’t imagine doing anything else and I’d like to think that I’ve been here long enough to call Derby my home.”
Jon walks more than six miles a day and is a familiar face on the city’s streets. His role is to support businesses and work closely with organisations like Derbyshire Police and Derby City Council Street Pride team.
He’s the ‘eyes and ears’ of the city and has become a vital, uniformed presence in the city.
He said: “The Rangers are an important resource in the area for sharing information, welcoming visitors, and tackling issues that affect the businesses in our BIDs, Business Improvement Districts.
“We play a crucial role in Derby. We’re often the first uniformed person on the scene – whether there has been a crime committed, an act of anti-social behaviour or a health-related emergency.
“We are actually like the fourth emergency service.”
This week, Jon was presented with a long-service award by Brad Worley, Manager for the Cathedral Quarter BID and St Peters Quarter BID.
Brad said: “It gives me enormous pleasure to present this certificate to Jon. We are enormously grateful for the work he does and he really is a valued member of the team.
“Over the last 16 years, Jon has built up a strong relationship with businesses in his BID. He is a friendly face on the street and someone the people of Derby have come to rely on.”
Jon wears a burgundy uniform, complete with body worn video equipment and radios, when he’s out on patrol. He centres his efforts on the Cathedral Quarter area of Derby and says watching the city grow and develop has been a key highlight. It was also Jon’s idea to create the hugely popular ‘Celebrate Sadler Gate’ annual event, which attracts thousands of visitors to the city and will celebrate its fifth year this summer.
He said: “Derby is changing, that is for sure. I mean, there is still a long way to go, but I like how it is taking shape. I have some moans, like there not enough public toilets or cash machines in the city, but that’s about it.
“I patrol my patch and ensure that everything is how it should be. If there’s a problem like vandalism or anti-social behaviour, then I report it and get it dealt with.”
Jon remembers the day when he was radioed by the city’s CCTV operative, to help a man who had collapsed in the street.
He said: “I did what I could to help and of course, timing is everything. We wear radios so we can respond to calls extremely quickly.
“From the moment you start work, you feel a huge sense of responsibility to support all the businesses and shoppers in your area. It means a lot to me to provide the very best help and support I can.
“Some days are hugely rewarding because you’ve helped someone, and other days are much tricker. You need very broad shoulders.”
Jon says he loves the variety of the job and says he would get bored sitting at a desk. Even when he broke his ankle, he was hobbling across the city to visit his businesses.
“Every day is different and that is what I like. One minute, I might be helping a shopper with parking advice and the next thing, we are being called to a live incident that needs our urgent attention.
“Patrolling my patch has become a way of life for me now and I can’t image doing anything else.”
To find out more about what’s going on in the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) visit www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk or www.stpeterquarter.co.uk
