By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Gloucester City Council is set to launch an ambitious pilot project aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
The two-year initiative, which was approved by city leaders on Thursday will see two engagement officers appointed to provide a visible presence on the city’s streets.
The officers will work to tackle issues such as criminal damage, littering, and alcohol-related disorder.
By engaging with individuals involved in anti-social behaviour and street drinking, they will offer support including assistance with housing and addiction issues.
The pilot project will underpin the work of the existing community protection officers and officers will build strong relationships with the public and local business owners.
The city council has allocated £200,000 over the two-year period to fund the initiative which aims to create a safer environment for residents and visitors.
Community engagement cabinet member Rebecca Trimnell (LD, Westgate) said the scheme is about engaging and reducing street drinking in the city centre as well as antisocial behaviour.
She told the meeting at North Warehouse that it will focus on improving the outcomes for individuals with complex needs who frequent the city centre.
“There is a small cohort of them and we have found they are problematic,” she said.
“It causes problems not only for businesses but for visitors, we’re hearing about it and yet they need help.
“I’m extremely excited about this pilot project. It is exactly what Gloucester city centre needs and demonstrates our dedication to working with partners to address the priorities of crime and safety.”
She also stressed it would not lead to a reduction in funding to the “red jacket” city protection officers. “This is in addition to that. And we hope they will work closely together.
“It is vital that we engage positively with the most vulnerable in our communities and this project is exactly what we set out to achieve. I am confident it’ll be a success.”
She said it may take four to six months to see progress. Council leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) said he is really pleased to see the report going forward.
“It will help resolve the problem of people drinking in the street,” he said. “Hopefully after a few months we will see some improvement in the situation.
“This is an experiment so we can’t be sure how successful it will be but if it is it is something we can then pass on maybe to other authorities in a similar situation as us. It’s a two year experiment and we’ve found the funding to do that.”