Police officers to patrol trouble hotspots in Weymouth, Bournemouth and Christchurch

Dorset Police are stepping up patrols in anti-social behaviour hot spots in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Weymouth.

The Government launched their Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan in 2023 with tools including hotspot policing. Evidence shows that taking a ‘hotspot’ approach, where uniformed police spend time at problem areas on a regular basis, reduces levels of crime.

This new funding comes with guidance about the types of crimes that should be used to identify areas to target. These include inconsiderate and repeated nuisance behaviours like street drinking and vehicle related ASB. Prevention is also part of hotspot policing with officers looking for behaviours that could escalate into serious violence and stopping it from happening.

Dorset Police has used crime data from the last few years to identify places where these issues have been reported regularly so that patrols can be targeted precisely. The additional funding means that the Force can intensify ongoing work to tackle ASB and serious violence. This includes initiatives such as 100 Days of Summer in Weymouth and Op Fireglow which targets ASB in Bournemouth Lower Gardens.

Chief Superintendent Heather Dixey said: “Dorset Police is committed to creating and maintaining a safe county for everyone. However, these dedicated patrols are just one part of the equation to reducing crime in the hotspots. Reports from the public help us to understand what and where crime is happening in our communities – if we don’t know about it, we can’t put a stop to it. Please continue to make reports to the police because your reports will directly influence the work that we do.

“Our officers will use dispersal powers to direct people away from hotspots if they act in an anti-social manner. Repeated ASB by individuals may lead to further action including Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders."

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