Has crackdown on crime in city centre worked?

New measures introduced by police after they vowed to crack down on anti-social behaviour in a city centre have received a mixed response.

In August, police increased street patrols and confiscated alcohol in central Gloucester following issues with people being "drunk all day long", street fighting and shoplifting.

Insp James O'Neill said the public's feedback had been "positive, with people coming up to officers and telling them that they now feel much safer".

But residents and business owners have said there are still problems with drunken behaviour and people fighting in the streets.

Over the past four weekends of increased patrols, officers have attended and dealt with 10 reports of anti-social behaviour and arrested a wanted man.

They have also seized 54 cans of alcohol under the city's Public Spaces Protection Order and visited three shops suspected of selling strong alcohol to known anti-social behaviour offenders.

Gloucestershire Police recently received funding from the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner for extra patrols on a Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Resident Gary Cleaver said he regularly visited the city centre on a Friday and Saturday night and felt "fairly safe".

"There is a certain amount of danger," he said. "You've just got to be aware of it, but it's not too bad."

Insp O'Neill said a resident had phoned the force's control room last week to "pass on a message of thanks" because they felt much safer in the city.

However, Claire - who lives near the city centre - said she regularly witnessed fighting and abusive language along Southgate Street.

"It hasn't got better since the police got involved in August, no way," she said.

She described seeing groups of people fighting, shouting and swearing, which she said had become a daily occurrence.

Businesses have also raised concerns about the impact on customers and staff.

Tracey East, who owns Cafe 72, said drunken behaviour and fighting outside her premises were putting people off visiting.

"Sometimes people just walk out of the shop, they don't want to see it," she said.

"We've had enough."

Despite the mixed views, police said they would continue targeting problem areas and tackling behaviour they believed was creating fear in the community.

"I am aware there are some issues on Southgate Street and it is something that the team will be refocusing on to try and tackle over the next couple of weeks," O'Neill said.

"We hear those complaints, we take that feedback on board and we'll make sure that we include that for future operations," he added.

O'Neill said different organisations needed to work together to get to the root of the issue.

"We're not able to police our way out of this solely just as the police...partners like the NHS, drug and alcohol services, probation, all need to come together," he said.

A spokesperson for Gloucester City Council said evidence did not suggest Gloucester experienced disproportionately high levels of anti-social behaviour compared to similar places.

"We continue to work with the police and other partners to target problem areas.

"We are grateful for the continued work of Gloucestershire Police in tackling anti-social behaviour in the city centre," they added.

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