Council explains '˜anti-social behaviour' figures for Pavilion Gardens

In a public consultation on “enhancing and protecting” the popular open space, Brighton and Hove City Council logged 22,752 incidents of anti-social behaviour in 2017, compared with 225 recorded by police.

The 2017-18 police figures show that this was a fall from the 2016-17 figure of 251 incidents of recorded crime, accidents and anti-social behaviour.

Chief Inspector Rachel Swinney said: “Pavilion Gardens, by its very nature being in the very centre of the city, attracts a lot of people, both residents and visitors.

“The gardens are part of our patrols and we have been paying particular attention to individuals who are known to frequent the gardens and who cause problems.

“We hold regular meetings with partner agencies, especially the Brighton and Hove City Council, who own the gardens, to keep the area safe.

“We are aware of the concerns and we want people to know that we are taking them seriously. We are also urging them to report any incidents or crimes to us so they can be addressed.”

On Friday, May 18, Royal Pavilion security guards caught four teenagers on the roof of Brighton and Hove Museum.

At 10.30pm on Saturday, May 19, a man tried to climb up the boarded over walkway at the front of the Pavilion, before attempting to climb up the side of the building.

Security officers recorded this as three incidents in their logs, two for climbing and one for entering the conservation area.

Councillor Alan Robins, who chairs the council’s tourism, development and culture committee, said: “The difference between the police figure and the ASB figure recorded by the Pavilion is that the police figure refers only to the cases thought serious enough to involve the police.

“The Pavilion record all incidents including those breaking the gardens bylaws such as, drinking alcohol, dogs not on leads, cycling, urinating and entering conservation areas.

“When this includes large groups of people, where each incident is carried out by each individual, it is recorded separately or where one individual breaks a number of bylaws these are also recorded separately.

“I don’t believe this is at all alarmist. It must be remembered these gardens and these buildings are unique and cannot be replaced or easily repaired, over time all these incidents can have a detrimental affect on both.”

Statistics about crime and anti-social behaviour appear in the section of the consultation relating to fencing areas and closing the gardens at night.

How the stats are counted