Partnership work between Nottinghamshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, and Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) is resulting in a reduction in anti-social behaviour in West Bridgford.
As the County’s Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week launches today (18 November), the impact that partnership working can have on addressing issues in the town has been highlighted.
In the spring of 2024, several parts of the town centre saw increased reports of young people causing anti-social behaviour.
Most incidents were at a low level, but some were more serious, including shop theft, robbery, arson, criminal damage, and the intimidation of business owners and local residents.
Officers from across the partnership quickly worked to identify where they could reduce incidents and identify perpetrators, particularly around Bridgford Road, Central Avenue, and Bridgfield, with the location quickly made a police priority. The presence of new CCTV has also helped significantly in identifying culprits.
Subsequent regular targeted police patrols, including engagement with young people in the area, were matched with enforcement and, in some cases, home visits to speak to parents. This led to the arrest of two young people who refused to curb their criminal behaviour.
Another incident occurred when a group of young people set fire to a toilet block in the town centre, causing extensive damage and requiring a visit from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue. This prompted an education and awareness session about the dangers of fire at the local Young People’s Centre.
Working with residents, RBC also arranged and funded the installation of fencing around the top of the former railway line on Bridgfield to restrict access and protect neighbouring properties that had been victim to criminal damage.
RBC’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety, Councillor Rob Inglis, highlighted the partnership’s strengths in addressing issues effectively.
He said: “We work in partnership with many agencies but typically will engage daily with the local police neighbourhood team and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office to co-ordinate a response to significant issues should they arise.
“An example is the spike in the levels of ASB in West Bridgford earlier this year. It was heartening to see the joint approach working so well, nipping problems in the bud before they became more commonplace and taking the necessary action.
“Shop theft figures have unfortunately increased, like the rest of the UK. However, with Home Office funding through the Safer Streets 4 project, dealing with crime prevention and detection, radios were purchased and issued to businesses in the West Bridgford Shop Watch Scheme, including many premises along Bridgford Road and Central Avenue.
“These have enabled communication between stores to share information about shop theft and anti-social behaviour and are a positive resource in deterring shop thieves and alerting others to events.
“They have also played an active role in apprehending seven offenders during a six-month recording period.
“Also, as part of the Safer Streets funding, CCTV cameras have been installed in the town centre, and arrangements have been put in place for this to be monitored and responded to.
“They are proving very useful to the police, and access to the images has been used to investigate several reports in the area, such as assaults, theft and burglary, robbery, road traffic collisions, and a sexual assault.
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“The cameras are active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are accessible through arrangements put in place by Rushcliffe to enable the police to respond quickly to reports.
“The partnership’s work continues, and we are seeing reductions in all areas of anti-social behaviour.”
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden added: “Hearing of the reduction in anti-social behaviour in West Bridgford highlights the importance of partners working together to deliver better outcomes for our communities.
“Working closely, we can identify where there is a need for problem-solving policing, and this allows us to take decisive action within our communities.
“We have taken a huge step forward recently with the news that neighbourhood policing is back in Nottinghamshire, and we are working with our communities to get better outcomes and make them safer.”
RBC’s Streetwise team has also been playing its part by quickly reacting on several occasions to remove mess and graffiti from outside the town’s Registry Office at Bridgford Hall to ensure the smooth running of wedding ceremonies.
Following this success, a similar scheme has recently been commissioned in Bingham using funding from the Safer Streets 5 scheme and with close collaboration with Bingham Town Council, which also provided some funding for this scheme.
This has seen seven cameras installed in Bingham town centre around areas known to have reports of ASB or criminal activity, managed by RBC in collaboration with Bingham Town Council and the police.
It is acting as a deterrent and enabling the follow-up of reports of ASB or crimes in the same way as the West Bridgford scheme.
To report anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood, call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or report anti-social behaviour online.
Alternatively, report it on RBC’s anti-social behaviour webpage, and the correct agency will respond.
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