Case Studies

Policing landscape in town centres

by Mark Rowe

The policing landscape in town centres is becoming more fragmented, just as civic life in those town centres is becoming more degraded, as such anti-social behaviour as public (illegal) drug-taking, urinating and littering, are ever more blatant, for whatever reason; what doesn’t help is the change in the police towards fire-fighting, responding to 999 calls, giving no time for local beat patrolling.

Those with responsibility (and budgets) for town centres, whether councils or business improvement districts, or business crime reduction partnerships, are seeking to fill that gap, whether by urging police to do more; or running their own in-house community wardens (as in Windsor, see separate story), or hiring private security. The authorities have for years recognised this trend by offering CSAS (Community Safety Accreditation Scheme) accreditation whereby guard forces, whether private contract or run by housing associations and others, can be trained to use police-style powers against litterers, dog foulers or drinkers in prohibited places.

In the January 2018 print issue of Professional Security we featured Kingston University in west London; some of its security staff have CSAS powers to patrol streets and student residences to act against nuisance behaviour by students that, particularly late at night, may annoy local non-student residents. Likewise if you’re a student at Bournemouth University, and you have lived in Bournemouth for one year or more, you can apply to become a Student Community Warden. This paid role, for seven to hours hours per week, sees blue-uniformed SUBU (Student’ Union at Bournemouth University) wardens patrolling the streets of Winton and Charminster, the student parts of the town. Coventry University has volunteer Community Wardens.

Also CSAS-badged are Neighbourhood Wardens in Mansfield who have started using body worn video cameras to record fly-tipping. In Durham, county council workers, including head of Direct Services Oliver Sherratt and clean and green team leaders, have received training and are now authorised to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN). They join neighbourhood wardens, PCSOs, police and some town and parish council staff in being qualified to issue the fines for offences such as littering and dog fouling as well as flytipping, graffiti, flyposting and untidy yards and gardens. Durham County Council plans to provide training to more workers.

Mr Sherratt said: “We know very well that littering and dog fouling remain among the greatest issues of concern for many of our residents so we hope this will reassure them of our commitment to tackling the problem. Our clean and green team leaders are passionate in their care for our county. Extending these enforcement powers will mean more ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground, increasing still further the deterrent to the minority who spoil our environment.”

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