Bedfordshire Police have acknowledged that a recent Facebook post about tackling anti-social behaviour in Bedford “was not received by partners as intended” and have promised to change their approach to future communications.
The controversial Facebook post added by the Bedford Community Policing Team promoted a patrol at St Peter’s Green under the banner “PC Pete’s Pop-Up ‘Party-Pooping’ Parade”.
It included lines that appeared to mock street drinkers and people without access to toilet facilities.
Read: Bedfordshire Police criticised after Facebook ‘banter’ misses the mark on anti-social behaviour
In a statement to Bedford’s Local Democracy Reporter, Superintendent Hob Hoque said: “We appreciate that on this occasion the message was not received by partners as intended, and we have discussed with colleagues a different way of approaching such issues in future.”
He added: “While given training and support, these officers are not social media experts but do their best to strike a balance between providing relevant updates which resonate with our communities while remaining sensitive to vulnerabilities or underlying issues which may be driving behaviour.”
The post came under fire during last week’s (25 June) extraordinary meeting of the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel, where Cllr Tim Caswell (Liberal Democrats, Bedford Borough Council) described it as “appalling”.
He raised the matter on behalf of a local magistrate and asked Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Tizard to refer it to the Chief Constable.
‘Banter’
Mr Tizard told the meeting: “Prima facie, it would appear not to be something that was appropriate… If you pass that to me, Cllr Caswell, I will take it forward.”
The Facebook post had read: “Bring your extra-strength alcohol along with you… Crack open your alcoholic drinks, illegally enjoy your beverage from one of the many benches we provide…
“Please note there are no toilet facilities, but if we catch you, you will be having an all-expenses-paid trip to our custody suite where we can provide such facilities.”
It concluded, “All ‘banter’ aside, consuming alcoholic drinks, urinating and defecating in public spaces, and any other ASB will be dealt with accordingly. You have been warned!”
Superintendent Hoque said the force is “passionate about tackling issues which matter to our residents” and values social media as a tool for sharing relevant updates.
He also stressed the force’s ongoing commitment to supporting those facing addiction, homelessness or complex needs.
“With regards to tackling street drinking and related anti-social behaviour, we will continue to work closely with partners and other services to offer support and intervention to those who require it, while taking appropriate action on any activity which negatively affects the communities we serve,” he said.
The original post remains online at the time of publication.
With additional reporting by John Guinn,
Local Democracy Reporter
