Dedicated day of action targets crime and antisocial behaviour in Mansfield

A dawn-until-dusk day of action saw police tackle shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and begging in Mansfield.
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Police officers joined forces with the district council and other partners to crack down on key crime concerns raised by local people.

The latest coordinated day of action brought together Nottinghamshire Police officers, council wardens, Business Improvement District (BID) ambassadors and specialist street outreach workers from the charity Framework.

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The aim of the ongoing initiative is to address the main problems experienced in the town on busy market days, starting with the challenges posed by rough sleeping and ending with a focus on night-time economy issues.

Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for MansfieldInspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield
Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield

In between the focus is on low level antisocial behaviour and inconsiderate and potentially dangerous driving.

During the latest day of action, on June 29, officers arrested a shoplifter suspected of swiping more than £200 of items from three different town centre stores and pursued other suspects believed to be involved with shoplifting.

They also moved on three beggars, with police and partners offering advice and support.

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Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said: “My team patrols in the town centre every day and we see with our own eyes the problems that we face.

“While none of these issues are easy to solve, we have come to understand that most of them can be put into time brackets and policed accordingly by effectively using the expertise and powers of our local partners.

“Framework, for example, are experts in supporting rough sleepers and steering them away from homelessness so our work with them is mainly about giving support where it Is needed and seeking to better understand the local homeless community. Between us we want to break the cycle that too many people seem to get stuck in.

“Council wardens and BID Ambassadors, meanwhile, are extremely effective at policing some of the low-level antisocial behaviour issues in the town.

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“By coming together and combining our powers, expertise and experience we can achieve a lot in a short space of time.

“We are listening to local residents and businesses and responding to their concerns in a new and effective way. We understand the very considerable impact that seemingly low level offending and antisocial behaviour can have on the health of the town centre and are committed to tackling these issues in any way we can.”

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During the day of action, a woman was charged with assaulting two police officers, as well as a public order offence.

Insp Davies said: “We sadly see numerous incidents of our officers being assaulted at work and it simply has to stop.

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“Our officers are dedicated to helping others and keeping people safe and shouldn’t have to experience this behaviour as part of their roles.”

Coun Marion Bradshaw, portfolio holder for safer communities and housing at Mansfield District Council, said: “Mansfield District Council will continue to work with the police and Mansfield BID to provide a safer and more welcoming town centre during the daytime and the evening.

"The challenges in the town centre economy cannot be tackled by one organisation alone, partnership working and support for each other is the way we will make Mansfield a safer and more vibrant place to live, work and visit.”