Neighbourhood policing vital for Bath, Radstock and Glastonbury communities  

Last Friday, I visited Bath, Radstock and Glastonbury – to hear from businesses, members of the public, councillors, Radstock Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Wera Hobhouse MP for Bath and Sarah Dyke MP for Glastonbury and Somerton about their priorities for policing.  

Photo caption: Left top – meeting Radstock Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors, bottom left – with Wera Hobhouse MP and Bath neighbourhood policing team, right – in Glastonbury with Sarah Dyke MP and Sergeant Lancey

Keeping Bath city centre safe 

I heard from Wera Hobhouse MP for Bath and the local neighbourhood policing team to understand residents and businesses concerns around anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, and road safety issues in the city centre. Together with Wera Hobhouse MP, Lindsay Holdoway – who represents the association of traders, and the local officers, we discussed efforts to make Bath a safer city for its residents, visitors and businesses. 

I heard from the local neighbourhood team about how they will be enhancing neighbourhood policing and creating safer, more vibrant town centres and high streets across the region through the ‘Your Streets, My Priority’ campaign, which I launched last week to  deliver coordinated action where it is needed most this summer. 

Local policing and response officers, as well as volunteer Special Constables and officers from specialist teams, are focusing on increasing engagement, disrupting criminals and listening to any concerns. 

Radstock community safety issues 

From Bath, I visited Radstock town centre where I met with Mayor Cllr Chris Dando, Deputy Mayor Cllr Lavinia Corrick, Town Clerk George Clutten, Cllr Nick Toogood, Cllr Simon de Beer and Cllr Dominic Tristam. They all expressed concern over the increase in anti-social behaviour, road safety issues and street drinking among other community safety issues in the area. However, despite the challenges, I was pleased to hear that the council are in regular contact with their local neighbourhood policing team and appreciated their efforts to try and tackle some of the issues.  

I re-assured councillors that strengthening neighbourhood policing is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan. I also reminded the councillors to encourage residents to report any crime through calling 101, or 999 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.  

Glastonbury business roundtable and community issues 

I finished my day in Glastonbury, where I met with Sarah Dyke MP for Glastonbury and Somerton. We discussed concerns around safety issues for women, anti-social behaviour, drug, and alcohol problems and how to build bridges with the travelling communities in the area. The meeting was also attended by Neighbourhood Sergeant Simon Lancey, who shared some of the activities the police are doing to address some of the challenges and fears, for example the Walk and Talk – and the need to work with other partners. 

From this meeting, I joined an evening Glastonbury business roundtable discussion hosted by Sarah Dyke MP, where I was a panel speaker. Forty business owners, representatives from the school and a nursery near the town centre attended to discuss ways to tackle anti-social behaviour, which has left the town feeling under attack. I talked about my five Police and Crime priorities, which include strengthening neighbourhood policing and preventing crime. I re-assured business owners that through the ‘Your Streets’ campaign of action they should begin to see more local neighbourhood policing patrols in town centres.