Police presence to increase in Norwich parks after attacks
There have been attacks in areas including Sloughbottom Park and Chapelfield Gardens in recent months
A spate of serious attacks in parks across the city have prompted calls to increase the presence of police officers.
Members of Norwich City Council and representatives for Norfolk Police are in discussions about bringing in toughened safety measures.
There have been attacks in areas including Sloughbottom Park and Chapelfield Gardens in recent months and alarm bells have been raised about the severity of these incidents.
Council officers said talks were under way to arrange a greater police presence in these parks to address the issue.
This week, four teenagers were arrested on suspicion of assault after an incident in Sloughbottom Park after footage was captured on a mobile phone showing what appeared to be a 13-year-old boy being hit on the head and then threatened with a knife.
There were also reports earlier this month of another attack on a 10-year-old boy in the park and an assault in March on a man who was left “bruised and bleeding” in Chapelfield Gardens.
Concerns about anti-social behaviour have led to Norwich City Council back-pedalling on a decision to leave some of its parks unlocked overnight – including Waterloo Park, Heigham Park, and Rosary Cemetery.
Before being re-locked, Waterloo Park in particular experienced a spike in reported anti-social behaviour incidents, including drug needles found near the play area and vandalism of park and café furniture.
Speaking at a meeting this week, council officers said: “We have seen quite a few reports of anti-social behaviour in our parks recently.
“Our concern is not so much the number of incidents but the seriousness.
“We are looking at how we can mitigate some of these or deal with this issue by having a greater police presence in some of those areas.”
The council has already introduced some new CCTV cameras in parks in an effort to reduce crime rates.
The officer added: “We are not ignoring this issue but it is a work in progress.”