Sports entrepreneur Barry Hearn challenged local politicians to aggressively combat escalating drug-related activities and knife offenses within their community during a council meeting on Wednesday.
The Matchroom Sport founder issued the challenge immediately after Brentwood Borough Council awarded him the title of honorary freeman of the borough to recognize his contributions to the Essex area.
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"A fighter going out in the 10th round and he's been decked three times already - he gets up again if he's a proper man.
Essex is full of those types of people," said Hearn.
The prominent sports promoter, who established his firm in 1982 and relocated its headquarters from east London to Brentwood in 2005, pressed the local administration to show resilience.
"Let's be brave, let's work on the drug problem we've got in Brentwood," said Hearn.
Hearn and his son Eddie rank as the third wealthiest figures in British sports with a combined fortune of £1.035bn, according to the Sunday Times rich list.
"Let's work on the crime problem we've got coming, the number of kids with knives," said Hearn.
The entrepreneur, whose company operations were highlighted in a 2025 Netflix documentary, criticized the choice to carry weapons.
"That's a girly thing to do.
Proper men go to the gym, get rid of their aggravation in a nice, accessible way," said Hearn.
Hearn concluded his address by urging the local authority to emulate the traditional work ethic of the regional populace.
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"We need to really graft like Essex boys and girls have always done," said Hearn.
The business leader expressed gratitude for the civic recognition at the end of his presentation.
"Thank you for the honour, I deeply appreciate it, and thank you for putting up with the ramblings of an old man," said Hearn.
Recent data from Essex Police revealed that Brentwood recorded 11 drug offenses and 45 violent or sexual crimes in March, compared to three drug offenses and 44 violent and sexual crimes in March 2024.
Countywide knife-related serious violence dropped from 1,021 incidents between April 2024 and 2025 to 858 incidents in the year ending April 2026, according to Essex Police.
In a separate enforcement action under the national anti-knife campaign Operation Sceptre, West Midlands Police officers recovered two weapons during targeted sweeps in Meriden Park, Chelmsley Wood.
"We know all too well the devastating consequences of knife crime and we're working incredibly hard all year round to drive down these offences and take these weapons off our streets," said Sgt Jahan of the Chelmsley Wood Neighbourhood Policing Team.
The neighborhood policing unit conducted school educational sessions, utilized knife detection arches, and executed stop-and-search operations throughout the campaign week.
"These two knives off the streets are potentially lives saved," said Sgt Jahan.
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Brentwood Borough Council did not provide immediate comment regarding the security demands raised during the meeting.
