Bedford town centre is an important place to shop, enjoy hospitality, meet friends, attend cultural events, and conduct business. I have been visiting this town centre and taking advantage of its shops and other attractions for nearly fifty years.
During this time, I have witnessed the town centre change dramatically. Like many town centres, it is changing and refocusing in terms of its facilities, retail and hospitality offers and ambience.
There is a strong case for encouraging more people to visit, work and live in all town centres, including Bedford.
This is recognised by Bedford Borough Council, which has ambitious plans for the centre to make its town centres more attractive and more economically sustainable.
Businesses need to be encouraged to invest. To achieve this, the town centres must be safe for visitors, residents, and businesses.
Although statistically, Bedford’s town centres are safe, there is still too much crime, especially retail crime, including shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, other street crime, and nighttime economy crime. This is unacceptable.
Not just a police problem
As Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), I have always been committed to the police addressing these crimes. However, to tackle them effectively requires more than action by the police.
It requires action by local authorities, other agencies, and businesses. It requires those who go into town centres to act responsibly.
I have been working with the Mayor of Bedford and others to make the town centres safer ever since I was elected last year. We opened the new police hub at the Bus Station with the generous support of the Mayor and the Council.
This is a partnership in action; however, whilst progress has been made, much remains to be done.
Therefore, I was delighted when the Home Secretary announced the government’s “Safer Streets Summer Initiative.”
She asked PCCs to lead coordinated plans to make our town centres safer, starting with an extensive programme of activities across the summer months when crime is highest in these areas.
I have submitted a plan with the support of Bedfordshire Police, Luton Borough Council, Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council.
The Home Office identified six town centres in the county for the initiative: Biggleswade, Bedford, Bury Park, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, and Luton. This choice was made based on recorded crime levels.
To mark the beginning of the campaign, I joined the Mayor of Bedford Borough Council, Tom Wootton, senior police officers, other police officers, councillors and council officers, including council enforcement officers, in Bedford Town Centre on Monday, 30th June.
It was an opportunity to showcase the collaborative work that already addresses crime and public safety in Bedford and promote what will happen over the next three months.
Shared commitment
It was great to hear Mayor Wotton express his support for this summer’s safer streets initiative and thank Bedfordshire Police for their commitment.
I was pleased to shake hands with Mayor Wotton, reaffirming our shared commitment to making the town centre safer and more attractive to visitors and businesses.
Bedford town centre, like others in the six areas, will benefit from increased police patrols, including by specialist police teams, community officers and PCSOs. This does not mean that other areas of the county will experience less policing.
Bedford town centre will also benefit from additional local authority enforcement activities, the use of its extensive CCTV network, action by its trading standards officers and other council teams.
This initiative will not end on 30 September. The lessons will be learnt and best practice extended.
Whilst we will measure success in terms of statistics, the best measure of success will be that our towns, including Bedford, are rejuvenated, with people feeling safer and consequently spending time and money in the town centre.
This is a monthly guest column provided by
elected Police and Crime Commissioner, John Tizard (Labour).
It is published unedited and does
not reflect the views of the Bedford Independent.
