Partnership scheme cuts trouble in city centre and makes for safe night out

Matthew Grove said partnership working and a zero tolerance approach to rowdy and violent behaviour has brought results, and he wants other centres in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire to follow Hull’s example.

Mr Grove spoke as he joined representatives of Hull Business Improvement District (HullBID), Hull City Council and Humberside Police on a walkabout to mark six months since the city became only the third centre in Yorkshire to achieve Purple Flag status.

The award was made after assessors from the Association of Town Centre Management carried out a detailed inspection and concluded that Hull offers a safe, vibrant and well-managed nightlife, exceeding the standard required in 17 out of 30 categories and meeting the remaining 13 criteria.

Hull’s Purple Flag partners spent 18 months putting their bid together, and Mr Grove’s visit was part of a process to monitor progress ahead of a “light-touch” reassessment by the ATCM in six months.

Figures released by Humberside Police show the use of 80–90 dispersal orders every month in the “safe entertainment zone” which covers the city centre. Since January 2010 police in Hull have issued nearly 3,000 of the orders, which are used to target individuals involved in minor alcohol-related incidents to prevent escalation into more serious offences.

Police in Hull are also seen as a model nationwide for the use of drinks banning orders, which can be imposed for between two months and two years and which have been issued to 107 individuals in the last 21 months. Tracking of wrongdoers shows the number of offences of violence and disorder committed has subsequently dropped from 577 to 40.

Other initiatives include use of a paramedic car on stand-by in Hull city centre, providing a rapid response to incidents, wider use of CCTV and the development of closer relationships between police and licensed premises.

Mr Grove said: “The Purple Flag scheme is a fantastic success story and shows what partnership working can do.

“Fighting crime is about building a big team; the bigger your team the greater your chance of winning. If the police work in partnership with the community, publicans and partner organisations we can achieve so much more.”