Collaborative approach cracks down on city centre antisocial behaviour

Nottingham city centre’s neighbourhood policing team have been working alongside dedicated problem-solving officers to deter antisocial behaviour around Sussex Street.

Officers have been listening to the concerns of neighbouring businesses including Nottingham Contemporary to put measures in place to ensure the area sees a reduction in criminal activity.

Concerns include groups of young people being disruptive and aggressive towards members of the public and staff at nearby businesses.

In January, Nottinghamshire Police launched a team of five problem-solving coordinators as part of ongoing efforts to proactively reduce antisocial behaviour and divert people away from offending across the city and county.

Neighbourhood officers have been working closely with staff at Nottingham College to deter students from using the gallery as a cut-through, which has resulted in a reduction of disruptive incidents.

The problem-solving coordinators work collaboratively with neighbourhood policing teams and engage with partner organisations to identify and monitor patterns in antisocial behaviour, provide advice and guidance, and recommend suitable prevention measures.

Officers from the city centre neighbourhood policing team have been monitoring and deterring criminal activity with high-visibility patrols to identify offenders and proactive enforcement in response to emergency calls.

They have seen a reduction in incidents when patrolling the area since measures to deter antisocial behaviour were introduced.

This is in addition to a meeting with up to 25 staff at the Nottingham Contemporary in June, where neighbourhood officers delivered a presentation on personal safety, provided conflict management training, and engaged in a scenario-based exercise to support staff when incidents occur.

Specialist designing out crime officers have also visited the area to offer advice about suitable alarm choices, the design of the Contemporary building, and what changes can be made to reduce antisocial behaviour.

A cavity space behind a metal hoarding near the City of Caves had also been accessed by some people, which had contributed to discarded drug paraphernalia in the area.

This was resolved by Nottingham City Council's community protection team in collaboration with the problem-solving coordinator and neighbourhood officers to improve the appearance of staircases and footpaths around Sussex Street by removing litter and ensuring the area is included in regular cleaning patrols.

Schools and Early Intervention Officers have also liaised with nearby schools and colleges about preventative and remedial work to reduce offending.

The problem-solving coordinators are part of the force’s Prevention Hub, which is a collaboration between multiple force departments responsible for developing and delivering strategies to prevent crime and disorder throughout the city and county.

Inspector Dan Griffin, Nottinghamshire Police’s team lead for the problem-solving coordinators, said: “Tackling antisocial behaviour is a priority for our neighbourhood teams and it is important that the public see officers responding to their concerns in a visible way.

“Our neighbourhood team and problem-solving coordinators have worked collaboratively with partner organisations and concerned parties around Sussex Street to reduce instances of antisocial behaviour and improve the appeal of the area, which has proved to be effective.

“I would urge the public to please report all instances of antisocial behaviour to Nottinghamshire Police as intelligence helps inform neighbourhood policing teams to identify areas of concern and allows officers to attend incidents at the earliest opportunity.”