Innovation on the beat – Derbyshire Police give a hotspot patrol update

Police Officers on extra patrols targeting hotspots for problem behaviour have continued to tackle the problems that matter most to communities.

During May, police officers spent 555 hours in communities on dedicated patrols, conducting eight stop searches, making three arrests and logging 28 reports.

Operation Shango is the name given to these extra, targeted patrols in Derbyshire. Officers now use an innovative app, called Visibeat, to log and track their time spent on patrol.

This app also helps target areas that benefit from an extra police presence – such as recent reports of anti-social behaviour or other crimes.

Hotspot and Immediate Justice Manager Becky Clough said: “By embracing new technology, we can make sure officer time is spent effectively where communities need it and that we are using quality data to measure the impact.

“The extra, targeted hotspot patrols are key in preventing crime and being able to tackle problem behaviour quickly.”

A recent example of the impact of these targeted patrols is when officers on an Operation Shango shift took a report of shoplifting in Derby, and apprehended the shoplifter just one minute later.

The shoplifter later received a jail sentence after admitting to theft and criminal damage.

For further information about how Police officers are tackling anti-social behaviour in Derbyshire, visit: Tackling anti-social behaviour in Derbyshire | Derbyshire Constabulary