Press Release

3 November 2020

New anti-social behaviour measures for Fareham

Two additional permanent Enforcement Officers to tackle anti-social behaviour are to be hired to patrol Fareham and ensure it remains a place where people feel safe to shop and work.  The Council’s six existing Enforcement Officers will also carry out the same duties, creating a team of eight, to enable the service to be extended to all parts of the Borough for the benefit of its residents and businesses.

This follows a 12-month trial of two uniformed security officers patrolling the town centre.  Visitors and residents have fed back to the Council that they have felt safer and more reassured by the presence of the security officers.

In the three weeks before lockdown the security officers dealt with 139 incidents in the town centre, mainly related to anti-social behaviour and homelessness, where they were able to provide advice and support.

As part of a review of community safety across the town centre the Council is also to invest in 13 high-quality CCTV cameras to replace legacy equipment that has been in place for a number of years.

The new cameras will provide higher quality images and have a much greater range than the existing equipment.

Thirty other CCTV cameras that have rarely been used or of use in recent years are to be removed and the live monitoring of the cameras under an agreement with Gosport Borough Council will also end. They will be replaced with mobile CCTV camera systems that can be deployed to deal with anti-social behaviour hot spots.

The type of community safety concerns have changed over time. A high-profile local issue is anti-social behaviour such as drug taking in public, linked to rough sleeping. Town Centre anti-social behaviour is a priority for many residents.

Executive Member for Health and Public Protection, Councillor Trevor Cartwright, said: “We know that dealing with anti-social behaviour is a priority for residents and traders in the town centre because they have told us so. This package of measures will deal with those issues.

“We will invest in modern and more effective camera provision in those key locations where CCTV is most needed, a team of eight Enforcement Officers to provide visible and physical reassurance and deterrence throughout the Borough, and deployable cameras that can be used to deal with hot-spots of anti-social behaviour as and when they occur.”

“Fareham is a very safe and peaceful place where people can happily shop and spend their leisure time, and the new measures that we are introducing will continue to provide that reassurance to visitors, traders and residents.”

The Police have been consulted as part of the review, and Fareham and Gosport’s Chief Inspector, Mark Lewis, said “I am pleased that the review has recognised the very positive and productive relationship between Fareham Borough Council Community Safety Team and the Police.  Our officers work well and constructively alongside the Council’s Enforcement Officers over general issues impacting on the Borough, allowing for a response from the right agency which can include supportive measures where appropriate.”

Fareham remains a safe place to live and work. In 2019, it was in the bottom 23 per cent for overall crimes recorded in Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) in England and Wales and the second lowest in Hampshire, with only East Hampshire having fewer recorded crimes.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Customer Enquiries

Tel: 01329 236100
Email: customerservicecentre@fareham.gov.uk

Media Enquiries

The Communications Team
Tel: 01329 824310
Email: publicity@fareham.gov.uk
Fax: 01329 550576

Keep in touch on the go