Community Priority for Castle ward.

01st October 2026 to 01st April 2027.

During the priority setting meeting held on 30th September 2026 your ward councillor(s) met with your local policing team where the following priority has been identified and agreed:

Nuisance bikes - such as illegal off-road motorcycles, mini-motos, and unlicenced e-scooters - are classified as antisocial vehicle behaviour when ridden in public parks, on pavements, or recklessly on public roads.

If you have any concerns regarding your local area, please contact your local officers via:
BedfordUrbanNPT@beds.police.uk

Please do not report a crime via this email address – please contact 999 in an emergency, 101 for non-emergency matters or visit the Bedfordshire Police website.

Issued 01 October 2026

The Castle ward Community Policing Team will adopt a problem-solving approach to tackle nuisance motorcycle and off-road bike use within Castle ward. This will include:

• Identifying hotspot locations through community intelligence, reports from residents, and partnership information, with a particular focus around Russell Park.
• Conducting high-visibility patrols during peak times to deter offending and reassure the public.
• Gathering evidence through CCTV, mobile phone footage, local authority cameras, and witness statements.
• Engaging with riders and their families to educate them regarding legislation, safety risks, and the impact of their behaviour on the community.
• Utilising warning letters, anti-social behaviour interventions, and community protection powers where appropriate, including holding individuals accountable for offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 such as cause/permit use of a motor vehicle without insurance.
• Taking robust enforcement action against offenders, including vehicle seizures and destruction of motor vehicles under Section 59/60 Police Reform Act 2002 and other relevant road traffic legislation.
• Encouraging community reporting through online reporting platforms and Crimestoppers to improve intelligence gathering.
• Delivering preventative inputs in schools and youth settings to reduce future offending.

Actioned 01 October 2026

Community Priority for Bedford Town Centre - Operation Regimen

Op Regimen seeks to combat on-going issues in Bedford Town Centre by using a combination of proactive and reactive Police enforcement tactics and partnership working. The main aim of this operation is to increase public confidence, increase partnership working and reduce criminality and the associated anti-social behaviour within Bedford Town Centre with particular focus on Bedford Bus Station and Midland Road.

February 2026 to 01st August 2026.

During the priority setting meeting held on 31st January 2026 your local councillors met with your local policing team where the following priorities have been identified and agreed:

Drugs and ASB in Alexandra Road and Greyfriars has been identified as the community priority for this quarter.

Drugs and ASB within Russell Park has been identified as the community priority for this quarter.

If you have any concerns regarding your local area, please contact your local officers via:
BedfordUrbanNPT@beds.police.uk

Issued 01 August 2026

This is an ongoing priority for Bedford Town Centre and will remain the priority throughout the year.

Regular reviews are completed to identify any new and emerging trends.

So far the this year the team has;
- completed several warrants, one of which led to 7 arrests and another where 1000s of items of stolen property was recovered.
- several knife test purchasing operations have been completed with the Police Cadets to identify stores selling knives without checking ID. Locations that fail are referred to licensing.
- 2 Successful closure orders.
- Regular Project Servator deployments
- Regular high visibility patrols in the Town.
- Several Police Operations targeting nuisance vehicles.
- Bi-weekly partnership meetings.
- Regular days of action.
- 3 Police Surgeries a week at the Bus Station Hub.

Actioned 01 November 2026

Community Priority for Queens Park

February 2026 to 01st August 2026.
Extended until 01/11/2026

During the priority setting meeting held on 31st January 2026 your local councillors met with your local policing team where the following priorities have been identified and agreed:

Drugs - Street level drug dealing has been identified as a concern for local residents of Queens Park.

Vehicle Interference/Theft from motor vehicles - Within Queens Park there have been recent reports of vehicles being targeted and property within them being stolen.

If you have any concerns regarding your local area, please contact your local officers via:
BedfordUrbanNPT@beds.police.uk

Issued 01 August 2026

Drugs - High visibility and plain clothes patrols within Queens Park to detect and deter street level drug dealing. Working in partnership with internal departments and other partner agencies to identify offenders and bring them to justice.

Vehicle Interference/Theft from motor vehicles - High visibility and plain clothes patrols within Queens Park to detect and deter criminal activity. Providing crime prevention advice to local residents as to how improve vehicle security.

Actioned 01 November 2026