Problem-solving plan tackling ASB and retail crime continues to deliver results in Sutton

The Sutton town centre problem management plan has now been active for one year and has seen extensive proactive activity delivered by neighbourhood officers and key partners, including Ashfield Council, to tackle these issues and minimise the risk of harm to affected retailers and members of the public.

In response to residents' concerns plain-clothed and uniformed officers have taken part in targeted days of action, with key offenders being identified and appropriate enforcement action being taken including arrests and community protection warnings being issued to known individuals.

Officers continue to work closely with local businesses and beat surgeries have also been held on a regular basis within the town centre, including in local cafés and in Portland Square, resulting in positive engagement and interaction with members of the public.

Enforcement work carried out in the last month has included arresting and charging seven shop theft suspects after reports of stores being targeted in Sutton.

A 46-year-old man has also been issued with a community protection warning, following concerns raised about street drinking, abusive language and aggressive behaviour.

As a result, he must now comply with several conditions of his order which include not entering or remaining within a defined area of Sutton town centre and not possessing any open container of alcohol, consuming or attempting to consume alcohol within the public spaces protection order area.

He has been warned that if he fails to meet any of the conditions of his community protection warning he may face further enforcement action.

In addition, the man has also been issued with a first tenancy warning by the council, warning him that his tenancy will now be formally monitored and that if his unreasonable behaviour continues then he may face additional tenancy enforcement action.

Other positive results in the last month include a 38-year-old woman being charged with possession of class A drugs – namely crack cocaine and heroin – in Portland Square.

Officers on foot patrol arrested the suspect and carried out a stop search in the town centre after responding to concerns raised by members of the public about drug dealing along a dirt track off Sutton Lawn park.

The woman was initially stop searched by an officer down the dirt track on May 8 and two bags of mamba were recovered.

She was stop searched again by the same patrolling officer in the town centre on June 15 which resulted in two wraps of crack cocaine and a wrap of heroin being seized.

Enforcement action was also taken against a 65-year-old ASB offender who was arrested by patrolling officers for breaching a civil injunction order at the end of April which prevents her from entering the Sutton town centre area, including Portland Square.

She was ordered to pay £850 in costs for the breach during an appearance before Nottingham County Court on May 1.

PC Colin Bland, of the Sutton neighbourhood policing team, said: "We fully recognise ASB and retail crime can have a negative impact on our communities but cannot be addressed by policing alone.

“We hope our continued partnership work to tackle issues in Sutton town centre shows that we are listening to concerns raised by our affected residents and businesses, and it demonstrates our commitment to working with our partners to keep our communities safe from harm."

Fellow bea manager for Sutton Central, PC Carly Smith, added: "Tackling and preventing drug dealing is one of our top priorities.

"We know this is one of the main drivers of ASB, which makes other people's lives a misery, and that's why we are taking this issue very seriously.

"We know there's still more to do and we will continue to work proactively with our partners to resolve issues, reduce offending and bring about sustained improvements to people's quality of life in the hotspot areas we've identified.”

Coun Paul Grafton (Ash Ind), Ashfield Council’s executive lead for community safety and crime reduction – and himself a former Sutton police officer – said: “We know that ASB is a major concern for everyone in our communities and Sutton town centre is an area that is often a magnet for this.

"It has a negative impact our wonderful businesses and the quality of life for those living in these areas.

“By working together with Nottinghamshire Police and other partners, we are tackling this problem head-on and holding those responsible to account for their actions.

"We are listening to the concerns of our residents and businesses and will do everything in our power to make our communities safer and stronger for everyone.

“We have done a lot of work to make Sutton a more attractive place for visitors and residents with the redevelopment of Portland Square and Cornerstone Theatre and we will continue to make improvements.

“We would ask anyone with concerns about ASB to report it.”

Residents are encouraged to report all instances of ASB to Nottinghamshire Police as this helps identify areas of concern and allows officers to attend incidents at the earliest opportunity.

If you see something suspicious in your area, please do not hesitate to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or in an emergency, dial 999.

Alternatively, people can report to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.