Police to step up town centre patrols ahead of World Cup
Supt Laura Hunt - Credit: Archant
Police are to step up town centre patrols across Cambridgeshire during the World Cup in a bid to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
Officers want to ensure that the England games, in particular, will be trouble-free during the football tournament which takes place in Russia from June 14 to July 15.
They have been working with pubs and partner agencies, including local councils and the Crown Prosecution Service,to prevent problems and take action where necessary.
Police say the county has seen a fall in the number of football-related incidents during major football tournaments and there were none during the European Championships two years ago.
But they are concerned that where there are incidents of anti-social behaviour, they are mainly associated with higher-profile England games.
Superintendent Laura Hunt said: “Our priority is public safety and we want everyone who goes out to watch an England match to do so without fear of violence or anti-social behaviour.
“There will be a friendly police presence and we hope people enjoy watching the games while drinking sensibly but any anti-social or illegal behaviour will be dealt with robustly.”
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Supt Hunt added: “We are working with pubs, and officers will take action to nip potential problems in the bud.
“Anyone who has concerns about a football-related event or potential public order problems should not hesitate to contact police on 101.”
Officers will visit pubs before and during games to make sure they are complying with their licensing obligations, including not selling alcohol to people who are drunk.
If police believe someone could commit a crime or disorder they can remove them from an area for 48 hours under Section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act.
They will also confiscate alcohol from any underage drinkers and anyone drinking in areas that are covered by a Designated Public Places Order.
In some areas, including Cambridge and Peterborough, police, pubs, clubs and CCTV will all be on a shared communications network enabling officers to identify troublemakers at an early stage and notify pubs who can then refuse people entry, if necessary.
