Police have highlighted the action they have taken over the summer in Bath city centre in cracking down on drug-related anti-social behaviour (ASB) and shoplifting.
Police officers on patrol | Photo © Avon & Somerset Police
The policing team also revealed they are currently working on closure orders for properties across the city that are associated with drugs.
In an update this week, the city centre officers said they have continued to target regular ASB offenders and with the help of ASB co-ordinators – officers who specialise in dealing with chronic ASB – they have issued several Community Protection Warnings (CPWs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs).
These have included:
- A CPW for a woman who was encouraging ASB including street drinking and associated drunken behaviour, where drugs were also being used.
- A CPW for a woman persistently involved in street drinking, shop thefts and public order offences where drugs were also being used.
- A CPN for a man who was continually allowing drug users into the communal areas of his building, causing damage, mess and distress to other residents.
Police also said that two Criminal Behaviour Orders were issued to a man and woman who were persistently leaving drug paraphernalia and other mess in public spaces.
The team added: “We are also working on closure orders for properties across Bath associated with drug dealing and use in partnership with our local housing agencies.”
Meanwhile over the summer police officers have continued to work alongside the ASB team to address prolific shoplifters.
They successfully prosecuted a chronic shoplifter for multiple offences, resulting in a sentence of over 20 weeks’ imprisonment, and issued another CPW specifically relating to shop theft.
They have kept up monthly retailers’ security meetings in partnership with the Bath Business Improvement District (BID), enabling businesses to point the police towards offenders they are most concerned about.
The team say they have also launched a three-month trial of a direct reporting system through the DISC security app in partnership with Bath BID which should allow businesses to report incidents to the police in a more streamlined fashion.
