Commissioner sees hotspot policing at its best
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden witnessed two arrests during a recent visit to see hotspot policing in action in Hyson Green.
Commissioner Godden joined Nottinghamshire Police Sergeant Mark Southgate and other members of his team as they continued the crackdown on antisocial behaviour and serious violence.
The officers visited two addresses which saw one man arrested in connection with an earlier assault on a shopkeeper, while another was detained after being found to be on recall to prison.
The work comes after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire received £1.5m to bolster the force’s response to serious violence and antisocial behaviour during this financial year.
The scheme is also aimed at increasing uniform visibility – from both the police and local authorities - on the streets of Nottinghamshire and improving trust and confidence in communities where these issues are more prevalent.
Commissioner Godden said: “We know how big an impact serious violence and antisocial behaviour can have on people’s lives, so this intelligence-led policing is designed to be used in communities which need it most.
“Mark Southgate and his team, as well as other teams throughout Nottinghamshire, are doing a fantastic job in policing the hotspot areas, as well as making sure the areas are safe for all residents.
“As part of a really productive visit, it was important that I spoke to a lot of the stall holders at the Wednesday market, and shared my policing plan with them which is currently out for consultation.”
Figures for arrests, stop searches and use of antisocial behaviour powers have shown a steady increase each month since the scheme launched in late April to the end of June - and they are expected to grow further as the action embeds.
29 arrests were made in just over two months after the scheme was launched, while officers also carried out 37 stop and searches and used antisocial behaviour powers 34 times during their increased patrols.
This is in addition to the regular policing that happens as standard in communities across Nottinghamshire.
The initiative, which will run until 2025, will see officers spend two hours in the proximity of one area before moving onto another. This is based on academic studies from the College of Policing which shows that frequent and short patrols are most effective at reducing crime.
The hotspot patrols enable officers to focus solely on engaging with the public and addressing any problems businesses or residents may raise to them whilst they are out.
Nottinghamshire Police Sergeant Mark Southgate said: “Part of our patrols saw us head out to a multi-occupancy address where the landlord had contacted us to express his concerns of people going in and using Class-A drugs.
“We arrested two people the day before and during our follow-up visit with the Commissioner present there was another male going in to source drugs. Unfortunately for him he turned out to be already wanted for a separate offence so was arrested by our officers.
“We’ve also been to the local Asda to check in because the area is well known as an antisocial behaviour hotspot for begging and shoplifting as well as drug use and alcohol consumption in Peppers Gardens.”