Doncaster town centre enforcement team extended in order to tackle anti-social behaviour

Doncaster Council has extended the use of town centre enforcement officers to stamp down on anti-social behaviour and to provide reassurance to residents and businesses.

A number of staff who patrol the town centre from 7am until 10pm seven days a week will have their contracts extended until November while a review is carried out into the service.

Council bosses have said that it is the preferred option to set up a permanent team moving forward.

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The proposal sought to ‘provide continuity’ in the job role for a mixture of permanent employees working on a revised job role and a number of employees on interim and fixed term contracts that would’ve expired at the end of July.

Council bosses have said that it is the preferred option to set up a permanent team moving forwardCouncil bosses have said that it is the preferred option to set up a permanent team moving forward
Council bosses have said that it is the preferred option to set up a permanent team moving forward

This includes five town centre engagement officers and one operations manager.

The staff aims to connect with and support both town centre users and businesses with a ‘highly visible 7-day consistent level of presence’.

They also provide information, advice and guidance for businesses and town centre users, whilst addressing ‘unacceptable behaviours, enforcement, problem solving on day-to-dayoperational issues’.

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The enforcement teams were set up to combat growing anger from residents and businesses around anti-social behaviour and drug abuse in 2018.

Residents and business owners highlighted problems around begging and the use of Spice – a synthetic cannabis product which leaves people paralysed, unable to move.

For a time, Doncaster Council even paid South Yorkshire Police to provide extra patrols in the town centre and a renewed Public Space Protection Order was implemented in an attempt to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour.

Last year, Mayor Ros Jones sent a scathing letter to South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings over the ‘unfair allocation’ of new officers being posted to Doncaster.

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Pat Hagan, head of localities and town centre, at Doncaster Council, said: “A review of the management of Doncaster town centre(s) is nearing completion and the preferred option is to establish a dedicated town centre(s) team that makes permanent the temporary arrangements in place from October 2020.

“An alternative, that has been considered and rejected, is to allow the temporary arrangements to end on 15 July 2022 and re-establish the team when the review is completed and implemented later in 2022.

“This is not a preferred option because it would discontinue the enhanced seven day town centre presence and limit the ability to address unwanted behaviours in the town centre.”