Police 'refresh' scheme designed to help beggars in Peterborough city centre get help

Police have said an operation to clamp down on anti-social behaviour in Peterborough city centre will be ‘given a refresh’ in a bid to help those struggling with alcohol and drug misuse.

Residents will also have their chance to have their say on the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that is in place to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the city centre.

Cambridgeshire Police’s Operation Luscombe, which was first launched in September 2020, aims to reduce aggressive begging and associated ASB such as open drug use, intimidation, and threatening behaviour towards members of the public.

It is a partnership initiative between agencies and charities, including neighbourhood policing officers, Peterborough City Council, drug and alcohol support services, health care professionals, Department for Work and Pensions and the Light Project Peterborough.

The operation uses a traffic light four-stage warning system to encourage those found begging to seek support for their often complex needs as a longer-term problem solving initiative, using anti-social behaviour legislation, as opposed to making arrests, with recognition given that the offenders are often vulnerable and should also be considered as victims.

The system ranges from a green ticket which invites people to a “hub”, to a blue ticket meaning their escalating behaviour places them at risk of being arrested and handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

The “hub”, which is held every three weeks at the Light Project Peterborough’s Garden House, sees all partners attend to offer a vast array of support.

Sergeant Andy Gladders, from Cambridgeshire Police’s Peterborough City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “After being run for the last two years, we have reviewed the operation to ensure we are focusing on the right things. As a result, we have refreshed the scheme and put more of a focus on the support being offered, extending the time the hubs are open and are now taking more of a proactive approach to encourage participation in the scheme.”

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “Some examples of where the scheme has had a positive influence include an alcoholic homeless person being given housing and benefits and attend rehabilitation for alcoholism, a female beggar being identified as a high-risk domestic abuse victim and moved to a new address and criminal action taken against her ex-partner, and a beggar who supported by a bank and set up with an account, with regular benefits now being received.”

The City Centre PSPO was originally implemented in 2017 and extended for a further three years in 2020.

The council seeks to extend the existing PSPO for the city centre for a further three years in May 2023.

It has proposed to retain the conditions of the current order to tackle issues such as unauthorised cycling on Bridge Street, alcohol-related and other forms of anti-social behaviour, aggressive begging and begging within 10 metres of a cash machine as well as unsafe cycling, urination, defecation, littering and spitting.

If you would like to have your say on the proposal to extend the City Centre PSPO, complete a survey online at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/consultations/peterborough-city-centre-public-spaces-protection-order-consultation-2023

The consultation will run until February 17.