Plans in place to keep Doncaster town centre safe this Christmas
A number of partner agencies have joined forces in an effort to crack down on anti-social behaviour in the area
Doncaster Council, South Yorkshire Police and other agencies have been working in and around Doncaster Town Centre to ensure it is a safe and welcoming place to visit during the busy festive period.
The partnership has been working on improving the town centre by clamping down on crime, anti-social behaviour, drugs, illegal trading and littering. Working jointly with the Frenchgate Centre, Transport Interchange and other businesses, a series of dedicated action days have been carried out recently and will continue into next week.
The Complex Lives team have been continuing to support people off the streets, including those with complex lives, who need support to find accommodation and drug and alcohol support. To support this, people are asked not to give money on the streets but instead give to Real Help Doncaster, a local fund that helps homeless and vulnerable people off the street and into a healthier and safer lifestyle.
Last week saw the opening of a brand new youth facility in the Frenchgate Centre. The Epic Hub is a safe space for young people to try new skills and take part in creative and sporting activities with their friends. The Hub offers learning about the risks that young people can be exposed to and how to avoid the dangerous distractions of anti-social behaviour and crime. Young people are encouraged to visit the hub and see what is on offer and they can also receive wellbeing support.
Doncaster Town Centre has also recently benefitted from new, state of the art CCTV cameras which provide a good network of coverage around the town centre, and there will be additional staff watching over the network during Christmas working together with the police to monitor and keep the streets safe. The recently upgraded CCTV and the cameras in the Frenchgate Centre and Interchange have proved invaluable in detecting crime and helping to identify those involved.
Doncaster Council Trading Standards teams are working to keep shoppers safe and reduce the risk of credit card fraud. The team completed a week of enforcement action focusing on businesses selling illegal and counterfeit items in the town centre and seized more than 1,000 items ranging from toys, scooters, ornaments and watches, as they were either unsafe or counterfeit.
The council’s street cleansing teams are in the town centre every day cleaning the streets, removing rubbish and emptying litter bins and continue to remove tonnes of litter and rubbish from the town centre. Businesses and residents are encouraged to report dumped rubbish and environmental crime online.
Doncaster Council Deputy Mayor, Glyn Jones, said: “Residents and visitors can expect to see an increased Police and Council presence over the festive period with additional staffing meaning extra boots on the ground with Police Community Support Officers and Town Centre Wardens out and about supporting people.
“We want people to continue to visit the town centre to enjoy festivities, shopping and night life but we are urging residents and visitors to continue to follow the national Covid guidance including wearing face coverings in shops and on public transport and not going out if they have Covid symptoms.
“I would also encourage people to plan ahead, including their journeys into town and home, to watch the amount they drink and be aware of drink spiking. People can also help by reporting antisocial behaviour and crime. Let’s all look after each other and have a good Christmas.”
T/Chief Supt Ian Proffitt, District Commander for Doncaster at South Yorkshire Police, said: “Making Doncaster Town Centre a safe place to be day or night is a priority for our force, and we share the determination of our partners to make sure visitors enjoy coming into town for shopping and leisure.
“However, we also want people to be respectful and behave responsibly in the town centre, and I am aware of a number of incidents over the past few weeks involving groups of youths apparently confronting members of the public or causing longstanding antisocial behaviour issues in the area. This kind of behaviour has a real impact on how people feel when they enter the town centre, and importantly, how safe they feel.
“Our Central Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) is working closely with local authority partners, particularly the Town Centre Ambassadors and Frenchgate Centre security staff, to address these issues. Alongside carrying out joint patrols and introducing a pop-up police station in the Frenchgate Centre, the partnership is also exploring how it can extend the use of civil orders, and in particular injunctions, to progress and deal with some of the issues linked to aggressive beggars.
“In the past week, this heightened activity has resulted in five arrests on suspicion of violent disorder and other public order offences within the town centre. Three further youths have also been visited and served with Antisocial Behaviour Warning Notices relating to their ongoing behaviour.
“We will continue to crack down on this kind of behaviour, as the investigation into these incidents develops, I anticipate that there will be further arrests made. I would also ask the public to report any crime or anti-social activity they become aware of as soon as possible, to give us the best chance to respond.”