News / Crime

‘Alarming’ rise in violence in city centre

By Martin Booth  Tuesday Jan 3, 2023

There was an “alarming” rise in violence in the city centre in December according to data from Avon & Somerset Constabulary.

But a senior police officer has since put the rise from December 8 to 20 down to the Christmas period and the nighttime economy setting of the area, with a “significantly lower” crime rate over the next fortnightly period compared to 12 months previously.

Chief inspector Rob Cheeseman said that “the seasonal rise and now fall” in crime is to be expected.

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This is despite police saying in the most recent police activity newsletter that there was “an alarming rise in violence against the person” of 117 cases between December 8 and 20.

The data covers the area covered by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District, encompassing the centre, Park Street, Old City and Harbourside.

Chief inspector Rob Cheeseman – photo: Martin Booth

Writing in the newsletter at the end of 2022 to city centre businesses, Cheeseman said that the police “faced challenges around resource levels and demands placed on police, and have for a large part of the year been supporting front end demand whilst providing community policing”.

“This has been tough, but achieved with the best interests of the community at its heart.”

Cheeseman said that in 2022, he and his colleagues “pushed forward with our programme on rough sleeping securing more injunctions and orders to reduce the harm they can cause”.

Police have also issued court orders against Romanian beggars and according to Cheeseman “have been proactive in target(ing) known shoplifters (and) have carried out e-scooter operations to make the roads safer”.

Main photo: Martin Booth

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