CRIME and anti-social behaviour has shot up in the city centre since the council scrapped its wardens team, a crime reduction boss claims.
Conservative councillors pushed through changes to neighbourhood warden patrols citywide, which included losing the five city centre wardens in January.
Since the changes from early this year Trevor Pepper, crime reductions operations manager for city centre management company CV One, says that there has been a rise in anti-social behaviour since the wardens were taken off the streets.
He said: “There has been an increase in anti-social behaviour overall in the city centre since the loss of the city centre warden team.
“CV One does not have the staff to deal with these types of issues. A lot could be done with four wardens dedicated to the city centre/ Gosford Street area, addressing these issues and turning round the increase in anti social behaviour in these areas.”
Labour councillor Jim O’Boyle, whose St Michael’s ward includes the city centre, said Lady Herbert’s Garden had become another problem area, where, over 12 months, CV One recorded 105 complaints and police received 35 calls about litter, people drinking and sleeping rough in the garden, noise, verbal abuse, and couples having sex in public.
Cllr O’Boyle said “I warned this would happen. This decision has stretched police and CV One resources leaving problem people and problem areas in the centre unchallenged.
“This proves CV One does not have the staff to cover the work the wardens did previously.”
The re-organisation of warden patrols citywide meant reducing the team from 75 to 56 and produced £173,000 savings.
Councillor Andrew Williams, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and community services, has said that anti-social behaviour is a police matter and not one for wardens.
He said: “Wardens from Hillfields walk through the Lady Herbert gardens so there is representation.
“But the anti-social behaviour is a police matter.
“CV One said their ambassadors can’t deal with anti-social behaviour - well it’s the same situation for wardens.
“To say there has been an increase in activities because wardens have been removed is not correct.”
A newly trained team of eight neighbourhood impact officers, which should be implemented next month, would be responsible for covering the whole city.
They will be drafted into the city centre at peak times on Saturdays backed up by police community support officers.
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