Lockdown has caused frustration for many people in Gloucester and it sometimes means that tempers have frayed.

But Gloucester's city protection officers - employed by the city's businesses to help keep shoppers safe and prevent crime - have been there to make sure everyone stays safe.

During April, even with lockdown restrictions the squad of CPOs managed to recover £1,105 of stolen goods in March in 35 different incidents of shoplifting.

But they also made sure people were able to get the care they needed - one day they helped a man in distress who had recently broken his leg and they checked on his welfare.

It was the same day when they were called to a city centre property to deal with an anti-social youth pretending to spit out of a window from a flat.

Data provided by the officers in Gloucestershire shows that they also dealt with 383 welfare checks, 78 incidents of anti-social behaviour, and 106 reports of suspicious behaviour.

All the incidents the CPOs attended in April

April 1

  • Complete BID and City safe areas checks and patrolled throughout the day.
  • Several known shoplifters deterred and reported to the police, becoming an area of concern.

April 2

  • Called to attend two cases of shoplifting by the same individual, police were informed and they took over the incident.
  • Called to assist with people arguing and causing issues in the City, all related with people being frustrated by lockdown.
  • Monitored several individuals who are known to shoplift, kept away and deterred from the city safe stores.

April 3

  • Called to assist with two shoplifting offences, goods retrieved and offenders’ details added to DISC and police informed.
  • Stopped a male urinating outside of City Centre business in broad daylight with people walking by. This male was arrested by police.
  • Called to assist with the removal of a drunk male refusing to leave the premises after being asked. He had left by the time CPOs arrived, but he was spoken to by the CPOs and advised to leave the City.

April 4

  • Two reports of breaching of civil injunction against two known individuals, all details passed to police and entered onto DISC.
  • Assisted the police with their ongoing retail crime operation .

April 5

  • Monitored known offenders around the city, deterring them away from stores.
  • Two breaches of CBOs and civil injunctions, reported to correct authorities.

April 6

  • Called to attend two incidents of shoplifting, first incident was identification required as the person had ran off, the second was the same person who was detained by the police.
  • Called to remove a drunk male from City business, this person is new to the City and was causing trouble, police called when refused to go. 
  • Called to a report of a shoplifter who had been detained for shoplifting on two consecutive days, yellow cards issued, and police called and arrested her.

April 7

  • Called to deal with a large numbers of street drinkers outside of the hotels they are currently staying in.
  • Called to deal with an aggressive male harassing a female, police sorted out this issue.

April 8

  • Collected evidence on a large fly tipping problem in the BID area, all information was passed to the Council representative.
  • Called to help and assist with a shoplifter, the person had just walked out of the store with items, also found out that the same individual had earlier been caught in another store. All information has been passed to police and on DISC.  
  • The alarm in the local store had been activated, all the doors and access routes have been checked. Key holder called.
  • Called to assist with the street drinkers who were causing issues outside of the two hotels.

April 9

  • Four cases of shoplifting dealt with during the day, two were known and reported on DISC and to the police, the unknowns were added to DISC as an ID sought.
  • Called to assist with the street drinkers fighting outside of a Hotel they were staying in.
  • Removed a group of street drinkers inside of the Graveyard on Southgate Street.
  • Assisted the police with a road closure due to an incident on the junction of Clarence Street and Brunswick Road.

April 10

  • Called to remove two drunk males from a City Safe store area, making threats and being rude. They were removed and reported to police.
  • Assisted a homeless youth with nowhere to sleep, he was referred to the YMCA for the duration of the weekend.
  • Dealt with nuisance behaviour from several drunks and teenagers during the day.
  • Provided the police with several statements during the day.

April 11

  • Meeting with the street medics with a view to working in partnership during this period of lockdown.
  • Called to assist with several shoplifting offences, identifying and reporting known people.

April 12

  • Meeting with the street medics checked in with the hotels with the homeless in to aid anyone with first aid issues.
  • Drinkers advised to move away from areas as they are in large groups.

April 13

  • Assisted city hotel with eviction of persons from the hotel causing ongoing issues.
  • Monitored known offenders around the City Safe stores in order to deter and remove if required.

April 14

  • Welfare assistance given to an OAP who required some help and got him home safely.
  • Assisted with two Shoplifters who were in a City Safe store, all details added to DISC.

April 15

  • Alerted to an incident in which a car driver was getting very aggressive and abusive with a traffic warden, managed to calm him down, Police moved him on with his ticket.
  • Managed to stop a male who had been reported earlier for stealing an electric powered bike from outside store, the male was arrested, and the owner had her bike back within 20 minutes.  Owner was very grateful.
  • Assisted with a first aid incident where a male was assaulted, ambulance was called to check the victim out as his breathing was impaired due to receiving a punch to the face.

April 16

  • Removed a male from the King's Square area for begging, also arranged a meeting with P3 to get this person housed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
  • Assisted in looking for two individuals who were reported missing. Both were found.

April 17

  • Moved on a group of three street drinkers from a main gate street area as they were being a nuisance and causing issues.

April 18

  • Reported that two early shoplifting offences occurred in stores.
  • One attempted theft from a City Safe store, named offender, goods retrieved by staff, this individual has a CBO so was reported for both offences. All details added to DISC.
  • Number of street drinkers removed from town as they were begging.

April  19

  • Retrieved items stolen from a car theft and returned to owners.
  • Removed a drunk from the Eastgate Street area who was being very abusive and threatening. All details given to Police.
  • Attempted theft from a city safe store, all details added to DISC.
  • Search for missing person following observations from CCTV.

April 20

  • Called and reported a theft from a City store, identification made, the offender was deterred from stealing in another store. All details are entered on DISC.
  • Monitored known shoplifters around the city and deterred them from entering City Safe stores.

April 21

  • Reports of a missing lady with dementia in the city, spent a lot of time searching for her.
  • Known offenders monitored around the City, deterred from entering City Safe stores, due to being on exclusion.

April 22

  • Called to Station Road as a male was being abusive and aggressive to shop staff, on arrival the male had gone, person is known, all details have been logged and reported to police.
  • Reported a large amount of building waste being fly tipped in the City. This was searched and addresses found, all information has forwarded to the Council.
  • Called to stop a shoplifter, goods retrieved and person handed over to the police.

April 23

  • Distressed female spoken to as she was overheard threatening to self-harm.  
  • Called to a City safe store to assist with the detaining of a shoplifter, all goods retrieved also items returned to another store. All information logged onto DISC and police informed.
  • Called to deal with a youth being anti-social and pretending to spit out of a window from a flat. The house warden was informed and this male warned. Police also informed.
  • Welfare check made on a male who appeared to be in distress, he had recently broken his leg and was very uncomfortable, welfare carried out.

April 24

  • Assisted in the arrest of an unknown male who had assaulted a bank security guard and a female customer.
  • Called to assist with a very irate and aggressive customer in a City safe store, male was detained and handed over to police, as he also had been shoplifting .

April 25

  • Monitored a known individual riding around town, deterring him from all City safe stores, reported to CCTV to monitor.
  • Reports of a male walking around town with a large screwdriver, this male was not located.
  • Monitored street drinkers around the town, meeting up with other groups, moved on reminding of Covid-19 guidance.

April 26

  • Known shoplifter removed from a City safe store, as he is banned from that area. Added to DISC.
  • Called in to deal with an irate street drinker who was arguing with everyone, asked to move on but kept coming back. Police finally removed him from the City.
  • Monitored and reported large groups of street drinkers who were refusing to disperse and move away from the city centre areas.

April 27

  • Called to assist with a very drunk street drinker who was being very disruptive to others in the city, was spoken to and asked to leave the area. Police informed.
  • Called to assist with a male fighting outside of a City Safe store, however police had arrived and dealt with this issue.
  • Assisted with a first aid situation, a male had tripped over, very minor injuries, which were dealt with and the individual then went home.

April 28

  • Monitored a known troublemaker around the town, asked to leave the area on several occasions.
  • Checked city wide for two missing persons during the day (found later in the evening).
  • Dealt with a drunk male who had seriously hurt himself after falling over, administered first aid and called an ambulance, who took the male to A&E for a check over.

April 29

  • Monitored a known male who is causing a lot of issues around the city.
  • Monitored and reported known persons all with civil injunctions (not to enter town) reported all breaches.

April 30

  • Called from CCTV to look for and report if found a wanted person.
  • Monitored known offenders around the city, reported locations to CCTV .