250 citizens arrests made to keep Mansfield "safe"

The team from Mansfield BID have kept the town centre a safer place over the past 12 months by making the arrests.

Mansfield Business Improvement District is a standalone organisation that works closely with police, businesses, and councils, to support businesses within a defined town centre area.

It has two ambassadors who operate during the day, David Dowson and Daryl McGreade, and they are often the public face of the BID, liaising with businesses and with members of the public.

But they also work to help prevent crime, such as theft from shops, and they have now made more than 250 citizens arrests as part of their roles.

David Wilson, a former police officer who now heads up Mansfield BID’s Business Crime Partnership, said: “The partnership really is just that - a group of organisations who work together closely to keep Mansfield town centre safe.

“The police face resource issues, and the council has restrictions on what it can and cannot do. That’s where the BID comes in, we are the glue that keeps everything together.

“We hold regular meetings to share information, we use apps on our phones to help identify people known to the authorities, and we have a radio system whereby we can communicate information quickly and effectively with businesses.

“Daryl and Dave are the visible presence in the town centre, being proactive and also reactive, responding to calls for assistance. They have now hit the 200 citizens arrest mark and it is a direct result of their work that people can go about their business in a safe way.”

David said that the when people are arrested, they could then face sanctions, such as being banned from the town centre or from certain shops.

He added: “We need to stop crime from happening, and prevent incidents from taking place. Communication is key, and the sharing of information is critical. We do that really well here in Mansfield, and that’s why we are leading the way and sharing best practice across the country.”

Mansfield BID also has two night-time ambassadors, who perform a similar role to their colleagues, but are often focussed on helping people get safely home after a night out in town.

The nighttime ambassadors, Adam Turner and James Conhan, deal with around 50 incidents a month, and are usually first to the scene of an incident.

They also record information they have, and share it with partners such as the police, councils, and businesses involved in the night-time economy.

The work that they do has been "critical" to Mansfield being awarded Purple Flag status, which recognises the work done to keep people safe in the evenings,