Dorset Police step up patrols in Bournemouth over the festive season
Officers from a variety of policing teams are out patrolling busy areas in the run up to Christmas
Anti-social behaviour in Bournemouth’s Town Centre has decreased by 11% in recent months.
But Dorset Police are determined to not get complacent and are stepping up patrols over the festive period.
High-visibility officers will be in place around the Christmas market, Bournemouth gardens, pier and night-time economy to reassure the public and deter criminality.
Chief Inspector Darren Harris told us: “Over the winter months, particularly in December the footfall around the town centre increases so having an appropriate number of officers out on foot patrol in those areas deters people from committing crime in the first place.”
Neighbourhood policing teams, dog handlers and firearms officers as well as other specialist teams will be patrolling in crowded areas to provide reassurance to the public.
Officers have been instructed to hand out section 35 dispersal notices to people causing anti-social behaviour which is behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to a person.
CI Harris shared one example: “One of the things we look at is groups of young people that might be engaged in loud, swearing, shouting behaviour, which to themselves may not seem anti-social but that does cause some members of our community alarm and distress.
“If we see that happening, we will speak to those groups in the early stages and point out the consequences should they continue.”
Early intervention has proved successful in recent months with overall crime in the town down 9%.
CI Harris added: “We deal with cases proportionately, so we try to prevent it happening in the first place. Anyone that we see causing trouble, may be given a dispersal order. If they come back within a period of time, then they will be liable to arrest.”