Gloucestershire’s most troublesome areas for public disorder have been uncovered in a revealing new map. In the past year, the police received over 400,000 reports of public order offences throughout the country.
This category encompasses offenses causing fear, alarm, and distress such as violent disorder, affray, threatening or drunk and disorderly behavior, and crimes related to stirring up hatred based on race, religion, or sexuality. It also includes rioting, witnessed in various locations across the country following the tragic incident at a dance class in Southport.
In Gloucestershire, the Central Gloucester and Hempsted neighborhood, covering Gloucester city center, had the highest number of public order offenses at 611, equivalent to one crime every 14 hours. This was nearly three times as many as Lansdown and Montpellier in Cheltenham, which reported 211 offenses, making it the second-highest area for public order incidents. Stroud town followed with 163 reported offenses.
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The map also highlights areas outside bustling nightlife spots struggling with high numbers of public order offenses. For instance, Cinderford, on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean, recorded 92 public order crimes causing alarm, fear, or distress.
Public order offenses typically involve the threat of violence, abuse, or harassment and are defined as acts of violence or intimidation that disrupt the peace and order of society under the Public Order Act 1986. At the severe end of the spectrum, this includes rioting, violent disorder, and affray, each carrying significant penalties.
These offenses encompass threatening, abusing, or harassing others, including those motivated by prejudice against race, religion, or sexuality. Detailed figures are accessible for over 7,000 neighborhoods in England and Wales, excluding areas covered by Greater Manchester Police, with Middleton Super Output Areas (MSOAs) housing 7,000 to 10,000 residents.
The statistics exclude public order crimes reported at train stations, as they are recorded by the British Transport Police.