Police target anti-social behaviour hotspots

Essex Police are targeting crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) hotspots this summer to "prevent offences" and "reduce crime".

"We've identified hotspots based on violent crime, live crime, ASB, and we're doing patrols daily at targeted times to show visibility in the area," Ch Insp Aaron Homatopoulos, who covers Chelmsford city centre, told the BBC.

The police said this approach has led to a 15% reduction in serious knife crime over the past year.

But ABS has increased, according to the latest 12-month rolling Essex Police performance data - In Chelmsford, it is up by 32% over the past year. However, the force said incidents have been recorded more accurately, contributing to higher figures.

Out on a police patrol in Chelmsford city centre, a man is arrested near the station for breaching a criminal behaviour order (CBO) that an off-duty officer had spotted.

CBOs are a way of tackling ASB and can be used to prohibit persistent offenders from doing certain things - like drinking alcohol in a public place or entering certain premises.

The force works closely with the city council, which also has a responsibility for public safety and dealing with ASB.

With six hundred cameras across the borough and a team monitoring 24/7 at Chelmsford City Council's CCTV control centre, they were able to track down footage of the individual that police said showed him stealing from a supermarket.

Spencer Clarke, public protection manager, installed the council's first cameras 30 years ago.

"It's not just about catching criminals; it's also about public safety, looking for missing persons and making sure that people feel safe," he said.

For seven years, the police and Clarke's council team have worked in the same part of the civic centre forming a community safety hub. Clarke said it has "proved really effective in terms of resourcing" and dealing with incidents.

Out in the city centre, Sgt Graham Thomas stops a man illegally riding an electric scooter.

E-scooters can only legally be used on public roads by renting them through official licensed companies in certain areas. Chelmsford has a scheme through the voi app.

It is illegal to ride a private e-scooter on pavements or public roads.

This e-scooter was seized and will be destroyed. The rider faces a fine or court action.

"Chelmsford is a safe city; the city centre is safe," Ch Insp Homatopoulos said.

"But I understand that some people feel the perception of crime is a worry, so what we've done over the next few months is increase patrols."

Sgt Thomas heads to a hotspot in the park where drug dealers have recently been caught.

He finds a teenage boy sat alone on a bench staring across the water of a pond. The officers approach to see how he is doing and then, after smelling cannabis, detain him in handcuffs and carry out a stop and search.

After several minutes of questioning, Sgt Thomas explained the situation is complex, and the teenager may be a victim of a greater crime than having some Class B illegal drugs.

"I don't think Chelmsford suffers any more than the other areas," Clarke added, while acknowledging that there could be spikes in crime during the summer.

"...working in collaboration with other authorities like the police and other agencies like the Youth Service and doing things like detached youth work, we can work together to reduce that."

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