New policing base opening in Doncaster's Frenchgate Shopping Centre

The venue will act as a site for police constables (PCs) and police community support officers (PCSOs) within Doncaster Central Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) to work out of during their shifts.

Doncaster Central NPT Inspector Lisa Bird explains more:

"The creation of this base will allow us to increase police officer visibility in the city centre, something that we know is incredibly important and reassuring when it comes to public safety.

"As we head into the summer months when footfall in the city centre is likely to increase, it's incredibly important for our officers to be visible and connect with local businesses, shoppers and residents.

"Having this in operation allows us to do that and it will give officers the chance to bolster the strong relationships they already have with retailers in Frenchgate Shopping Centre and the surrounding area.

"We remain dedicated to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in the centre of Doncaster and having this base in Frenchgate will allow our officers to respond quicker than ever before to real-time incidents as we will have a cohort of officers already based in the area.

“We hope that the opening of this shows people in Doncaster that we are committed to fighting crime in this city and keeping you safe in the city centre."

The creation of this venture also supports ongoing partnership work with City of Doncaster Council as part of the Safer City campaign, which has seen the authority pledge to spend £1m on new safety measures in the city centre.

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, added: “This is the latest in a series of really positive steps that have been taken as part of our commitment to make Doncaster city centre a more welcoming and inviting place that everybody can enjoy.

“During last year’s Big City Conversation, the public made it very clear that improving safety and security in our city centre is an absolute top priority alongside reopening our airport. Together with South Yorkshire Police, we have listened to these concerns and are working hard to address them, whether that’s by investing in cutting-edge technology, increasing our patrols, or introducing other resources to help people feel more secure.

“I am pleased then that our joint efforts are now being strengthened even further by the launch of this new base at the Frenchgate. Enabling neighbourhood officers to respond more quickly to incidents that arise in the area, we hope that it will encourage visitors to make more use of the city centre and assure local businesses that crime and antisocial behaviour are being taken seriously here. 

"With summer just around the corner, and a number of exciting events planned, we want everyone to be enthusiastic about coming to our city centre and experiencing everything that it has to offer.”

To report crime in Doncaster city centre, please contact the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency, including when a crime is in progress.

You can also report information online via the police website: https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/.

The new venue in Frenchgate is not public-facing and will not have an enquiry hub open to members of the public. If you wish to speak to a member of staff about a crime or to report a crime in person, please visit the enquiry desk at College Road Police Station.

To report anti-social behaviour, please report it to the police or to City of Doncaster Council depending on the nature of the incident. You can read more about which agency you should report to here: https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/police-forces/south-yorkshire-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/anti-social-behaviour/.