Extra patrols will be in Lancaster city centre this weekend and in the run-up to Christmas in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Lancaster City Council has funded an extra 80 hours in patrol time by the Lancaster Business Improvement District (BID) wardens.
This will mean an increased presence over the weekend of Light Up Lancaster and on the run-up to Christmas/
The council also funded 20 hours in October to support the Lancaster Music Festival.
The BID Warden post began in 2020 and has been successful in tackling shoplifting and improving communication between businesses in the city centre.
Business leaders and representatives from the public sector met on Wednesday to discuss developing a set of long-term joint actions to tackle anti-social behaviour in Lancaster.
The Safe and Secure Lancaster Partnership meeting brought together representatives from the police, Lancaster City Council, NHS, the fire service and the business community at Lancaster Town Hall.
The event was an opportunity to discuss the root causes of social issues such as anti-social behaviour and how they can be tackled by providing more support, prevention and enforcement, to help make the city an even better place to live, visit and spend time.
Pictured below, the Safe and Secure Lancaster Partnership Meeting.
Councillor Caroline Jackson, deputy leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “Lancaster is already a safe place to be but like any town or city has issues with crime and anti-social behaviour that need to be tackled.
“The aim of this partnership is to create an even safer environment for people to spend time and our businesses to trade. We intend to build upon our history of working closely together to tackle issues of anti-social behaviour more effectively and support the local economy.”
Tony Johnson, Lancaster BID manager, said: “This is really great news from a Lancaster BID perspective. Light Up Lancaster is one of the biggest events in footfall terms annually and attracts a lot of visitors, so it’s imperative we have the city looking and feeling its best.
“Our Christmas programme is the busiest we have ever had with various events in November and December. To have that extra presence on the ground for the festive period will re-assure businesses and make the city feel a warm and welcoming place at a very busy time of year.”
Sergeant Lindsay Brown, Partnerships Officer for Lancaster & Morecambe Police, said “Safe & Secure Lancaster has had some excellent successes over the last few years.
"Widening the partnership will bring great support in tackling the issues we face head on and assist to reduce anti-social behaviour still further. Lancaster is a great place to live, work and socialise, and we want to deal more effectively with the minority of people who can occasionally spoil it for everyone else.”
Read more: Patrols of Lancaster city centre to be increased - Beyond Radio
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