In my most recent column, I wrote about the importance of rejuvenating our town centres, and particularly Bedford Town Centre.
I am revisiting this topic again, this month as we’ve now got early results from the Safer Streets, Safer Town Centre initiative. This initiative has led to additional focused police teams patrolling and taking action in the town centre.
The police also now have use of Live Facial Recognition Technology to support their policing. Council officers including community enforcement officers, trading standards officers are actively working with the police.
As PCC, I have responsibility for coordinating this campaign but not operational policing responsibilities, and reporting on progress to the people of Bedfordshire and the Home Secretary.
Since the initiative started at the end of June, the community team engaged with over 200 members of the public and local businesses as part of a summer day of action, strengthening community ties.
Visible enforcement efforts led to the resolution of multiple traffic offences, including the seizure of an e-scooter and increased monitoring of public spaces.
St Peter’s
In St Peter’s Gardens/Green, ongoing engagement continues to support safety and encourage positive use of the area by the community.
In the last week alone, Bedfordshire Police retrieved three viable firearms from a property in Bedford, after a car was stopped by officers and found to contain drugs.
A further two men were charged with drug offences following a warrant in Aelfric Court, Bedford, while another was charged after he was stopped in the town centre with a bag containing more than 70 wraps of suspected class A drugs.
This is a good start, but there is still much more to do. I know that there is still some frustration and concern about the safety of and policing in the town centre.
This must be addressed by a publicly funded, publicly accountable, and publicly authorised police service. This is the British way. The council could employ its own enforcement team to work with the police as Luton Borough Council does.
The town centre must evolve if it is to survive. I have been visiting, shopping and enjoying both the pleasure of hospitality and cultural experiences in Bedford Town Centre for nearly fifty years.
I have a personal and professional interest in it being safe. Businesses should want to invest in Bedford. It must be a place where people want to reside as well as visit and work. It must have quality yet affordable housing for families and individuals.
It needs a heart – a beating heart.
Council must play a part
Town centres must be safe areas. If they are not safe and, or if people feel they are not safe they will not want to live, visit, work nor invest in them.
The police are taking proactive action to ensure effective policing. But they cannot solve this alone. The Council has a role to play too.
This requires investment by Bedford Borough Council, including good community enforcement, high-quality CCTV and strong collaboration with the police.
Private companies, such as retailers, hospitality venues and transport providers, can also play an important role to secure their own premises and staff but not the streets.
Last year the council made a facility available to the police to establish a police hub at the Bus Station.
More needs to be done. There is a need to address drinking, and drug dealing and taking as well as addressing aggressive begging. Social issues such as homelessness need to be addressed with greater vigour.
This requires partnership action led by the council and its public health, enforcement and housing teams. It requires the police to work alongside and to complement the actions of the council.
It also requires the council to address issues relating to their open spaces, street furniture – such as park benches, car park security and street lighting.
Distractions and stunts
Whilst Bedfordshire Police has increased the resources being deployed in Bedford town centre, the Borough Council has not been able to match this. Indeed, the enforcement resources available are less than in other areas of the county.
The Bedford BID collapsed last year which meant less cooperation with local businesses. All this is unfortunate, and I hope that new arrangements can be place swiftly.
There is equally no place for anyone to exaggerate or spread misinformation about the town centre and public safety. This is unfair on residents and those who visit or work in the town.
There must be no attacks or assertions against any one because of their origins, current social and economic circumstances or housing conditions.
The language of hate and division will make our objectives to make Bedford safer and fairer harder to achieve and undermine public confidence in their own town.
I share a commitment with Mayor Tom Wooton and Bedfordshire Police to ensure that Bedford town centre is safe and a vibrant place to live, work and visit. Let’s all commit to achieving this goal and avoid distractions and stunts that undermine our vision for a better Bedford.
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.
