Fareham council to clamp down on anti-social behaviour with more enforcement officers and mobile CCTV cameras
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Fareham Borough Council is looking to hire two permanent enforcement officers, bringing its existing team up to eight members of staff who patrol the borough to issue parking tickets, issue fines, and address anti-social behaviour.
It comes as the area nears the end of a 12-month trial of two uniformed security officers patrolling the town centre, brought in to address concerns about drinking, drug-taking, and begging blighting the high street last year.
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Hide AdIn the three weeks before lockdown, the security officers dealt with 139 incidents in the town centre, mainly related to anti-social behaviour and homelessness.
In addition to the officers, the council is to set up 13 high-quality CCTV cameras in the town centre, while two mobile cameras replacing obsolete equipment that needed to be checked only once or twice a month, according to Councillor Trevor Cartwright.
The executive member for health and public protection 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.
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Hide Ad‘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.’
It comes as the council reviews its measure to tackle problem behaviour, with the police working ‘constructively’ alongside the local authority according to Fareham and Gosport’s chief inspector, Mark Lewis.
Chief Insp 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.’