Bedford Borough Council has formally accepted a £65,000 grant for anti-social behaviour patrols in Bedford town centre – but did not respond to detailed questions about how the scheme will operate.
An executive decision signed by mayor Tom Wootton on 16 March confirmed that the funding, provided via Bedfordshire Police, will support additional patrols in 2026/27.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked the council on 18 March how many officers the funding would support, what hours they would work, and how success would be measured, but the council did not respond.
As reported by the Bedford Independent last week, the council announced a new ‘Town Centre Task Force’, and that a team of three anti-social behaviour officers would be deployed across the town centre and other ‘local hotspots’.
Read: Council and police create new team to improve safety in Bedford town centre
The release did not address questions about patrol hours, deployment patterns, costs, or how the scheme will be evaluated.
The report presented to the mayor said the officers will patrol areas identified as hotspots for anti-social behaviour, street crime and retail crime, working alongside police and other partners.
Adding that the additional officers will be funded on a temporary basis and delivered via an “existing provider”.
Bedfordshire Police told the LDRS that the funding forms part of a wider programme targeting anti-social behaviour hotspots identified through data analysis, including Bedford town centre.
A spokesperson said local authorities were invited to bid for funding, adding that the council will measure outcomes.
They pointed to previous activity in which 245 anti-social behaviour incidents were dealt with under a winter action plan
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
