A major police crackdown on violent crime in Southend is being stepped up, following a fresh incident in Warrior Square that left two people injured.
On Tuesday 4 June at around 7.30pm, CCTV operators working for Southend City Council spotted a disturbance involving a group of people in Warrior Square. Officers responded swiftly and arrived at the scene to find two individuals with injuries described as serious but not life-threatening.
A woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault, a public order offence, possession of an offensive weapon, and criminal damage. Officers continue to search for others believed to have been involved.
The incident comes as Essex Police intensifies its focus on violent crime in the city, part of a targeted operation that the force says last year led to violent incidents in Southend falling by nearly 50% within four months.
Police have also been using pop-up metal detectors in Southend as part of the national Operation Sceptre campaign. Officers from the Southend Neighbourhood Policing Team and Operational Support Group (OSG) recently took their weapons detector to South Essex College and installed it in the walkway between Southend Central train station and the High Street.
Almost 1,200 people passed through the gate and the police say they had positive conversations with students, college staff and passers-by about what they are doing to divert people away from serious violence.
Chief Inspector Dave Browning, Southend district commander, said:
“We’ve made no secret of our drive to stamp out incidents of violence in Southend – and to arrest and charge those who we believe to be involved in them.
“Today, I’m reiterating that. We’re determined that those people who are intent on committing violent crime in Southend will have nowhere to hide. Some of this policing operation will take place publicly – with a sustained focus on the right places, on the right people and for the right reasons.”
The latest push has been made possible due to an increase in neighbourhood officers in Southend, with local teams now working more closely than ever with other units across the force and with community partners.
Essex Police are now regularly deploying their Live Facial Recognition technology in Southend. The force says the tech supports officers by identify persons wanted for priority offences, people who are wanted on recall to prison, and to ensure and promote the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons at risk.
The cameras are linked to a ‘watch list’ on every deployment of the technology. The watch list contains details of people who are wanted for crimes, subject to court orders or who pose a risk to the public. Essex Police says that unless you are on the watch list, you cannot be matched and officers won’t be alerted.
Chief Inspector Browning added:
“We’re able to have this focus because of the increased number of neighbourhood officers in the city who will be working with other departments within the force and with our community safety partners at Southend-on-Sea City Council.
“We are fortunate to have an extensive CCTV system that covers Southend with highly trained operators who work closely alongside the police to assist us quickly with all manner of incidents.
“I am determined to ensure Southend is a place which we can all be proud of, whether we live here, work here or travel here to socialise.
“The overwhelming majority of people who we come across in the city do not cause any issues whatsoever but to the small minority of people who do, we’ll be watching you and we’ll deal with you robustly if you try to commit a violent crime.”
The ongoing police operation, which includes visible patrols, intelligence-led targeting, and rapid response to disturbances, continues to adapt to hotspots and patterns of offending.
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I would like a Live (or at least a faster) info feed from police. Obviously, for crimes, there's a need to withold details but for things like RTC's etc, it could help the public. I try & report incidents online as i come across them but get a hostile response & am NEVER given any info in ANY circumstance. Yet everyone agrees Policing & security is best done as a community. Why is this?