POLICE, CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR UPDATE 16 FEBRUARY – 1 MARCH 2022
CRIME STATS Over the last two weeks, crimes have increased from 225 to 253. Theft is the highest crime however, we predict this is due to the higher footfall in the area.
There have been 54 incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB) reported, showing a decrease from 69 in previous weeks.
COMMUNITY BEHAVIOURAL ORDERS Wednesday 23 February was a very productive day in court for the Neighbourhood Police Team and Anti-Social Behaviour Team. Three Community Behavioural Orders (CBOs) were obtained at Bristol Magistrates Court for three different offenders in the city centre and across Bristol. This was the result of a lot of determination and hard work by officers and staff. The relevant details for the orders have been included below:
RYAN HACK
NEIL FREEMAN
ARON WALKER
A prolific bicycle thief who notoriously targets tourist hotspots in the city. Mr HACK received a 52 week custodial and a CBO granted for 30 months
A prolific shoplifter who persistently targets One Shop Store on Queen Charlotte Street. CBO was granted for 5 years.
A persistent offender who has a long history of targeting bars and restaurants, and ordering items without having a method of payment. Community order made with alcohol treatment requirement and a CBO granted for 2 years.
BIKE MARKING EVENT we as a local beat team are encouraging members of the general public to get their bikes marked as a way of deterring thieves.
On Wednesday 23 February, the Old City and Docks PCSOs conducted a bike-marking event in Castle Park. Bike marking events are a great way to engage with the public, work alongside local businesses and help to prevent crime within the local area. There has been an increase in bike thefts around the Bristol city centre and by carrying out these bike-marking events,
The bike register is a nationwide scheme that enables a database of bikes to be registered, so if they are ever lost or stolen they can be returned to their rightful owners once found. These events also allow the local community to meet their local beat team and report any worries or concerns they may have about their neighbourhood. City centre bike-marking events always have a great turnout and the local community are always grateful for this service. Information and dates for our bike-marking events can always be found on our neighbourhood social media pages.
STREET INTERVENTION SERVICE (STREETWISE) The main objective of the Street Intervention Service is to tackle streetbased ASB through a combined multiagency approach that offers routes to support, together with enforcement where necessary.
Court action and enforcement will only be used for those individuals who will not engage with the processes we put in place. We understand the needs of the community are diverse and challenging so orders are tailor-made to their needs.
The team consists of two police officers, a council coordinator and an ASB enforcement/outreach officer provided by Bristol City Centre BID, alongside Bristol Drug Project outreach workers and an outreach worker from St Mungo’s. This is a citywide team but the focus is the city centre where most problems tend to be.
Any court orders that are put into place will always have positive requirements alongside realistic restrictions to prevent ASB. This could be the instruction not to beg to tackle aggressive begging, not to have alcohol in public and recently one male has been banned from having butane gas in public places as he inhales it.
HOMELESSNESS AND LOCAL SUCCESS In the past two weeks, Chief Inspector Robert Cheeseman has been involved in a round table event hosted by the Home Office to focus on homelessness. This was attended by police forces across the country, ministers and other government bodies. The aim was to review the current national picture, hear about successes from forces and look to pave a way forward to provide support and tackle this issue. Chief Inspector Cheeseman is very proud to say that we in Bristol have the Streetwise Team, which is fully supported by the BID. The team support those affected by homelessness and carry out targeted and proportionate
enforcement to those that cause harm to the communities of Bristol. It is a complex environment, but due to years of experience and solid partnerships, Bristol has been deemed a high performer nationally and there is real enthusiasm to learn from our processes. Whilst this is great for our city, Chief Inspector Cheeseman is also very conscious that this can still be a real impactive issue for our business community and so please do tell us about any harm you are caused which will allow us to deliver bespoke support and enforcement to make the needed improvement.