View from the Town Centre

 "The last 6 months have been a very positive time for the Town Centre Police Team. In January we came up with a fairly new idea (although there is no such thing I know, most good ideas are just reworded old ones) which enabled us to deploy a significantly increased number of officers on the streets. These were primarily brand new officers on their first few weeks patrolling, aided by experienced instructors, and effectively we went from having 18 officers across 3 teams, to approximately 35 officers across 4. Consequently we have seen two major effects; a big reduction in the number of street based crimes (robberies/snatches/violent assaults), and a marked increase in the number of shoplifters we have been able to deal with.

Looking back on 2009 figures it is quite clear that we saw a marked increase in activity that developed throughout the year. Where we had much success in reducing the amount of gang related incidents, we still saw rises in robberies and assaults compared to 2008 (which had been a relatively good year). To see that this trend has now been reversed, primarily by being able to deploy large numbers of uniformed officers in visible locations, and also to provide a good quality of service to our usual customers, is very pleasing, and the trend is being maintained even during what have been traditionally busy times and months.

A very marked decrease is in the area of assaults. Across the board in the Town Centre we have seen reduction in this, and especially the more serious incidents. Part of this must be down to the extremely good working relationships that exist between the police, the nightclubs and the door supervisors. Making the town centre an enjoyable, safe and secure area is a major part of our plans, and all of us are determined to improve the nature of the area. We just don't have the large scale fights of years gone by, if we have anything at all it is very quickly jumped on, and rigorously policed, even to the extent that we will trawl through CCTV in efforts to identify offenders and ensure that they are brought to justice.

However, there are always individuals willing to spoil the party. We have had a very small number of highly publicised incidents, which unfortunately do almost irreparable damage to the good work that we have been achieving. The fact that there are so few occurring seems to provide even more oxygen and headline time to the ones that do occur, and it is always extremely disappointing when all the good work you do hardly gets a mention. But we must recognise that these incidents do have a significant impact on the impression others have of this area, and do everything we can to prevent them, and when they occur, ensure that those involved face appropriate justice and are seen to be effectively dealt with.

We continue to work closely with the Street Drinking community and one of my PCSOs has performed wonders in addressing their behaviour. A resource centre has been set up on Mondays to identify their needs and provide for them, and we have consequently seen a reduction in the overall numbers congregating in public, although the hard core are very difficult to stop.

Please continue to pray for:-

Our officers. All my officers are proud to wear their uniform and perform their role. They take great care in providing as good a first response as they can, and are genuinely highly regarded by their colleagues. Each day they go out on patrol they are asked to make extremely challenging decisions, and have to manage difficult to deal with people. They are all excellent and committed public servants, something I am very passionate about, and I am proud to be their leader.

Young People. We have a very high number of youth gathering or passing through our area every day, and the huge majority of them behave responsibly. Some of them cause some problems though, either through over exuberance, lack of respect, or just plain sinfulness. Please pray for them all.

Street Drinkers. They are all human beings who for whatever reason have placed themselves in their current situation. My officers treat them with respect, but have to also deal with them assertively to attempt to bring their behaviour under control. Please pray for these individuals to find the help they need, the strength to face up to their weaknesses, and the support to deal with the challenges they undergo."

Simon Ellingham
Inspector
ZD Town Centre Unit
30023