Nottingham Police Crack Down on City Centre Crime with Tough New Orders
Nottinghamshire Police’s Operation Compass is hitting back at crime hard. The team, made up of both plainclothes and uniformed officers, has already secured five Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) targeting city centre troublemakers.
City Centre Bans Keep Criminals Out for Years
These powerful CBOs stop offenders from entering Nottingham’s city centre for up to three years. The aim? To prevent theft, drug-related offences, and anti-social behaviour that terrorises residents and visitors alike.
Offenders caught breaching these orders face immediate court action. It’s a zero-tolerance approach designed to disrupt criminal activity long-term.
Sergeant: “Banning Orders Break Criminal Cycles and Protect Businesses”
Sergeant Jonathan Pothecary explained the strategy: “By limiting where offenders can go and cutting off access to their usual haunts and associates, their criminal activities are severely disrupted.”
He added, “These banning orders help make Nottingham a safer, more appealing city for everyone who lives, works, and visits here.”
Importantly, the orders don’t cut off access to essential services. “We want offenders to still reach support like the Job Centre,” Sergeant Pothecary said. “We’ve seen some known criminals turn to addiction help rather than crime because of these measures.”
Beggars, Thieves and Drug Users Targeted
So far, the CBOs have been handed to key offenders involved in prolific begging, theft, drug possession, and anti-social behaviour.
“Begging is a massive problem in Nottingham,” Sgt Pothecary warned. “About 90 percent of beggars in the city centre have homes but use begging to fund drug habits. Many of the rest have been offered accommodation but refused.”
He continued, “This drives the local drug trade, fuelling the sale of mamba, crack cocaine and heroin.”
Police officers relentlessly stop and search known offenders. “When we find drugs, we signpost them to support services. We want to break the cycle of crime linked to addiction.”
One offender had racked up over 240 theft convictions before a banning order finally kept him off the streets where he was terrorising local businesses with repeated crimes.
Police Warn: “We Know the Faces and We’re Watching”
Sergeant Pothecary confirmed that seven more CBOs are pending, with more on the way.
“Most offenders don’t risk breaking their orders because they know our team patrols the city daily,” he said. “We spot the same faces and know their networks.”
With summer just around the corner, police want Nottingham to be a city people feel safe to visit and enjoy.
“This is one of many ways we’ll keep the city safe and welcoming,” Sgt Pothecary concluded.
