City Centre Safety: Updates and Partnership Efforts

By Sian Booth, Head of Policy and Partnerships, Doncaster Chamber
sbooth@doncaster-chamber.co.uk

Visible Policing in Action

It’s really encouraging to see the continued commitment from our colleagues at South Yorkshire Police to keeping Doncaster city centre safe and welcoming. Their latest update shows over 275 hours of patrols in July alone - that’s more than 464 miles covered, much of it on foot. No denying, that's a lot.

Visible policing makes a real difference. It reassures shoppers, boosts confidence for traders, and underpins the vibrancy we all want to see in our city centre.

The heatmap below shows the routes between the end of 26 July to 1 August. It shows there are real efforts to cover all of the city centre, with a concentration around the rail station.

 

Business Concerns and Feedback

Let's be honest, after a period of seeing some improvements, we have had an upturn this last month or so in businesses raising concerns about city centre safety again; this includes people who are level-headed and pragmatic about these issues.

One Doncaster born and bred business owner said to me today "I've lived in Doncaster my whole life, and this is the worst it's been".

At our recent MPs Q&A event in July, Goffs' Tim Kent and Doncaster Racecourse raised concerns about the Railway Station area and stressed the importance of our city centre acting as a shop window during Leger week.

We know this is something Sally Jameson MP has also raised.

Tariq Shah, who chairs the City Centre Board, has shared feedback from female users of the city centre who feel especially vulnerable even very shortly after shops close.

Ongoing Safety Challenges

We hear very clearly from businesses about the challenges they face. One of our members based on St Sepulchre Gate recently reported issues with rough sleepers, drunk and disorderly behaviour, loitering, and even a violent incident spilling into the store. Customers have felt threatened and are choosing to go elsewhere.

Tht's why we're pleased thear that in the last four months, there has been more uniform presence in the city, with close to 1,000 hours of additional police patrolling activity in the city centre between March and June. There have been significant increases in the use of the PSPO and the issuing of penalty notices. In addition, there is ongoing work developing a rapid improvement plan to tackle rough sleepers.

Looking Ahead: Partnerships and Strategy

The additional focus we've given to the City Centre as part of our manifesto is driving some improvements, but clearly this latest feedback demonstrates that there remains work to do. We remain fully committed to working with partners to tackle these issues and cannot ignore the sentiments of the local business community.

Formal plans are in place for long-term improvement:

• PSPO Renewal: Due in November 2026, with consultation planned from early 2026. Businesses, including the Chamber, will be involved. Please let me know if you'd like to take part.

• Community Safety Strategy: A survey in June received over 3,000 responses; focus groups may follow. The Chamber will be formally engaged to join up work with city centre businesses.

 

Using Insight to Inform Action

We also want to ensure we are gathering and using insight effectively. That could include:

• More regular and detailed safety and security intelligence.

• Quarterly business sentiment surveys (e.g., “more safe, less safe, about the same” or star ratings).

• Net Promoter Score-style tools for city centre users.

• Benchmarking against similar towns and sharing learning with other centres.

• Regular communication with businesses through a representative group.

• A time-limited incident reporting form.

• Introducing the city centre police and local authority teams to businesses so they feel comfortable approaching them on patrol.

Get Your Views Heard

The targeted enforcement of the PSPO, alongside proactive engagement, is exactly the balance we need. From addressing anti-social behaviour to offering a friendly ear through the pop-up police stall, these actions show that safety and community relations can go hand in hand.

If you’d like to speak to officers in person, they’ll be at the “Your City Your Say” event on 3 October at Eco Power Stadium. Chief Superintendent Pete Thorp will also be taking part in a panel discussion and will be happy to take questions from the audience - a great chance to hear directly from him about policing priorities and share your own views.

Final Thoughts

On behalf of the Chamber, I’d like to thank the officers, partners, and community members who play their part in this ongoing effort. A safer city centre benefits us all.

If this area of policy work is relevant to you and your business, drop me a line as I'll be continuing to gather insight and work in this space.