Police and crime commissioner visits Leighton Buzzard to listen to anti-social problems faced by shopkeepers and residents

A meeting was arranged in the town to hear from residents and shopkeepers about issues affecting them. These include drug dealing, shoplifting and rough sleeping, with tents camped on public land.

Residents living next to Riverside Walk have been suffering from loud anti-social behaviour and drug dealing close to their homes, said Independent Leighton Linslade West councillor Victoria Harvey.

“The meeting included a visit to North Street and High Street. Shopkeepers explained that although Leighton Buzzard is a lovely town, the present level of anti-social behaviour, continual drug dealing in broad daylight and shoplifting is having a negative effect on their business, customers and their own sense of safety.

“CBC with its partner agencies has a strong offer of support to help those affected by rough sleeping or housing instability to help people off the streets.”

But the local authority is responsible for removing tents from land it owns in the town, said Bedfordshire Police. The county force and CBC’s anti-social behaviour team have worked together to issue community protection warnings already.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard was invited by councillor Harvey to hear about these problems, saying: “I was pleased to visit Leighton Buzzard to meet the town mayor, local councillors, residents and shop managers, as well as the community police team.

“Although not having any operational authority for policing, I’m sure the drug-related issues in the town will be dealt with in an appropriate way by the local police team. The issues of shoplifting, which sadly aren’t unique to Leighton Buzzard, will also receive appropriate police action.

“But it’s important shop owners and managers always report incidents of shoplifting. Failure to do so means the police cannot act. I hope officers working with retailers, residents and the two local authorities, CBC and the town council, can find long-term solutions.

“Some of the drug-related activity is on CBC land and the council is also responsible for CCTV in the town centre, while retailers must introduce and use security measures.

“I look forward to these issues being progressed and will review progress when I attend Leighton-Linslade Town Council in September.”

The PCC will work in partnership with the police and CBC to improve the situation in Leighton Buzzard.

Liberal Democrat CBC Leighton Linslade North councillor and town mayor David Bligh said: “Hearing the justified concerns of residents and business leaders about people living in tents on common land by the river, drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, I was impressed by the PCC’s detailed interest in the problems.

“Reporting crime helps build an intelligence picture for the police force, enabling it to focus on habitual perpetrators of crime and help stamp this out.

“It was good meeting our new local senior officer, Insp Janine Graham, as well as Sgt Amy Ison and PCSO Rachel Carne. We look forward to a higher profile of policing for Leighton-Linslade.”