Gardens Under Watch: Offenders Feel the Heat as LFR Rolls In

he Piccadilly Gardens Neighbourhood Policing Team have continued their proactive approach to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, with a busy day of enforcement activity in and around Piccadilly Gardens.

Officers were out on patrol today working in conjunction with a specialist Live Facial Recognition unit, which deployed a mobile unit into the Gardens to assist in identifying individuals linked to outstanding offences and ongoing investigations.

Early into the deployment, PC Simm and PC Zamecnik made two arrests on Back Piccadilly. One male was arrested on suspicion of a serious assault reported over the weekend, while a second male was detained for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Elsewhere, PC McKenzie arrested a male for obstructing police and committing a public order offence. In a separate incident, another adult male was located and arrested in connection with a number of outstanding offences for which he was wanted.

Continuing the team’s momentum, PC Lomax—on just her second day with the team—arrested a registered sex offender on suspicion of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, capping off a highly productive day for the unit.

Sergeant Jon Wyatt praised the team’s efforts, stating: “Days like today show exactly why a visible and proactive presence matters. When individuals think they can operate freely in the city centre, we’re there to respond. The use of specialist resources like Live Facial Recognition adds another layer to our capability, and it certainly makes those involved in criminality feel increasingly antsy knowing we’re actively looking for them.”

The team remain committed to maintaining a strong presence in the city centre, working to keep the public safe and deter those intent on committing crime.