Weekend-night policing operation in Newark seeks to keep revellers safe

Safety was the focus of a night of action in Newark town centre involving police and frontline staff from Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Officers from the Newark neighbourhood and response teams and both the police and council licensing teams took part in the operation on Saturday in the town centre.

Uniformed and plain clothes officers, working alongside a drug detection dog, conducted patrols throughout the town centre with a number of suspects stopped and searched.

Three of those searches resulted in drugs being seized and suspects being either warned or reported for summons to court.

The teams also conducted visits to eight licensed premises during the course of the evening to check out the conditions of licence were being adhered to.

Actions carried out by officers included drug testing using wipes to check for the presence of illegal substances on premises.

Door staff credentials and CCTV systems were also checked.

The operation was part of the district’s Cleaner, Safer and Greener campaign which is focussing on a range of issues including community safety.

District councillors Rita Crowe and Ivor Walker, who are chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the district’s licensing committee, joined the operation to witness first-hand issues within the night time economy and how they are tackled.

Councillor Crowe said: “As chairman of the council’s licensing committee, it is very important that we understand the issues of the night-time economy that impact on the police, the licensing trade and the general public.

"Watching this exercise unfold through the evening was extremely useful. Providing a safe night- time environment for all is what we want to achieve. ”

Alan Batty, council environmental health and licensing business manager, said: “Joint operations such a this night of action really help all the agencies involved to understand each other’s roles and develop solid partnerships that deliver the priorities of both the council and the police.

"It is pleasing to report that on the night officers found only minor issues with the premises inspected.”

Sergeant Paul Cash, of Newark Police, said: “This was a multi-agency operation to deter and tackle drug use within the pubs and bars of Newark.

"We were using a drugs' detection dog to enable us to focus on people who were likely to have drugs in their possession.

“By targetting drug use through this method and driving down the use within the night time economy, it can contribute to a reduction in the number of violent incidents and ensure people feel safer.

“I want to thank the council for their support in this operation along with the councillors for taking the time to attend and gain an understanding of how an operation like this can work and the impact it can have.”

During Saturday daytime the council’s community safety team joined police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service on a stall on Newark Market.

Council officers handed out bike locks, purse bells, emergency number fridge magnets, bank card protectors and personal safety alarms.

The fire service provided safety advice and information was handed out to help reduce unwanted mail and telephone calls as well as doorstep crime safety.

There was also information on general safety and domestic abuse linked in with the White Ribbon campaign.