Police report sets out ways to stop 'shopping trolleys being lobbed off the multi-storey car park' in Leighton Buzzard
A police report to two local authorities recommends ways to prevent “shopping trolleys being lobbed off the multi-storey car park” in Leighton Buzzard, a meeting heard.
Potential solutions include putting up barriers or closing off the top floor altogether to prevent the anti-social behaviour and suicide risk.
The issue was discussed at a Central Bedfordshire Council’s police and crime advisory panel meeting, and a week later by CBC’s Leighton-Linslade partnership committee.
Bedfordshire Police Chief Insp Jim Goldsmith told the panel: “The multi-storey car park in Leighton Buzzard is one of the challenges which has been topical for a while.
“Our design out crime team went round the car park in February, with CBC assets and its security team, and a safer parking regional representative,” he said.
“CBC has received our evaluation and the changes we’ve recommended to stop shopping trolleys being thrown off the top floor, and the other aspects (of crime) in the town.
“Once CBC has had time to digest the report, I’ll ask for more help to resolve the situation. The town clerk is also aware of it. This needs to be done in partnership and I’m sure that will happen.”
At the partnership committee meeting, CBC Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade North councillor Kevin Pughe explained: “Bedfordshire Police thinks at strategic level it’s lowered the (crime) risk.
“But the police’s story didn’t match our experience on anti-social behaviour. We set a priority around the town centre, where trolleys are being lobbed off the top of the multi-storey car park.
“The county force has been in touch with CBC assets. There’s also a suicide risk. Police are suggesting CBC pays to put up some barriers or alternatively closes off the top deck altogether.
“The local authority has had a formal response from the police about the car park being dangerous because of this anti-social behaviour. The town centre has extra policing, which is meant to be over and above.
“We need to ensure we get value for money from the cameras and from Operation Dodford to tackle vandalism and anti-social behaviour locally. We’ll review that with the police.
“Operation Dodford has been running since the late 1990s. It needs reviewing. We don’t spend the entire budget every time. The town council assets are getting damaged. We’re still getting an expensive list of damage in our parks.”
Town clerk Mark Saccoccio said: “Through the Section 92 agreement with the local force, it provides our contact with the police.
“The start of the next financial year is an opportunity to review that agreement with the support of the committee and reprofile some of that spend. It’s very much a work in progress.”
LB First chairman Gennaro Borrelli added: “One idea was to enable the street watch team, which comes under Bedfordshire Police, to use what was the car park kiosk.
“They weren’t getting much support from the assets team at CBC. If that could be used by the volunteers, it would act as a deterrent.
“This would probably prevent some of them getting on the roof. There was the vandalism of the lifts a while ago, and that’s a huge expense for CBC.
“The police appear to be in favour of using the kiosk. This committee can put pressure on the assets team to open it up.”
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