How ‘team effort’ is helping in battle against city centre crime

A police officer has described how a ‘team effort’ is helping in the battle against crime and anti-social behaviour in Derby city centre.

Sergeant Jamie Millard has been in charge of the Derby City Safer Neighbourhood Team for the past 10 years.

Preventing and detecting crime is top of the agenda for him and his nine-strong team – but the demanding role does not stop there.

He said: “To succeed, we must embed ourselves in the heart of the community and build relationships with everyone.

“But we can’t do it on our own and that is why partners like the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts, their Rangers, Derby City Council and the Derbion play such a vital role in what we do.

“It is a team effort, and we work extremely closely with a whole list of agencies to keep crime at a minimum and things like drugs and anti-social behaviour off the street.

“We are dedicated to maintaining a professional footprint in the city and pride ourselves on the visible presence we provide in Derby.

“We know that this helps to deter anti-social behaviour and it brings peace of mind to shop owners and the public.

“To succeed in the job, we’ve got to strengthen relationships with everyone.

“We also take a pro-active stance on tackling offenders that cause the most on street visible anti-social behaviour and crime to Derby city centre and we like nothing more than chasing them down and putting them before the courts.”

Sgt Millard has worked in various positions across Derbyshire Constabulary but heading up the city’s SNT with colleague Sgt Jonathon Sharp, is a role he relishes.

Between March and May, Sgt Millard and his team made 278 arrests in Derby city centre, seized 13 weapons and 50 illegal e-bikes and scooters.

During the same period, they arrested individuals for dealing ‘mamba’ and crack cocaine and seized stock from illegal perfume sellers in the city.

The city’s SNT also arrested people with class A drugs in their car and seized a bladed article, mobile phones and drug-associated equipment.

During another operation, the team made arrests at a brothel and seized suspected anabolic steroids and cannabis.

Sgt Millard said: “Every city has its challenges, but I know that extra patrols see incidents of anti-social behaviour drop, and our targeting patrols have had great results.

“Our patrols, which involve a combination of officers patrolling in plain clothes and high visibility uniforms, have resulted in offenders being taken off the street and drugs and weapons being seized.

“The successful Shopwatch, which is a community-based crime prevention scheme promoting communication between retailers and local police, has also reported a reduction in robberies and thefts from city centre businesses.

“My team are the absolute best, and everyone works their hardest to make a positive impact in Derby.

“We collaborate with other partners to respond to rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour but our focus on neighbourhood regeneration in the city is key.”

Brad Worley, BID manager for Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter, said: “Sgt Jamie Millard is a huge support to us and the businesses across the city.

“We work closely with the Derby City Safer Neighbourhood Team, and they do an amazing job to help keep our city safe.

“People like Sgt Millard deserve to be recognised for the work he does because, like many of us, he wants to make Derby a better place.”