Doncaster Safer City Initiative Marks a Year of Action in the City Centre

One year on from the initiative’s launch, when the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones announced £1m worth of funding for new safety measures in the city centre, residents are being reminded of all the work that has been done in Doncaster so far, while also being encouraged to ‘Report It’ when it comes to any antisocial behaviour they witness (either in the city centre or elsewhere).

Over the past year, investment has been made into expanding Doncaster city centre’s CCTV network, introducing a new mobile vehicle (equipped with cameras and first aid apparatus), and implementing a Tannoy system that enables its operators to directly communicate with anybody who is perceived to be engaging in antisocial behaviour. Alongside this, there has also been an increase in police and council patrols and an enhanced cleansing regime for the city centre.

Elsewhere, the Frenchgate has seen the opening of its popular EPIC Hub, which is run by the council and provides young people with support and a place to go, as well as a brand new policing base . South Yorkshire Police have also acquired a fleet of bicycles to help their neighbourhood officers respond more quickly to incidents unfolding in and around the city centre.

Using the powers granted to them under the relevant Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), the council has handed out 889 warnings for PSPO breaches in the city centre over the last twelve months, as well as 13,478 Penalty Charge Notices for parking offences and 3,761 fines for littering. Not to mention, the council’s Safer City teams have also conducted 17,382 hours of patrols through the urban core during that same time window.

Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police have completed a total of 1,060 patrols of the city centre, covering 1,165 miles. An encouraging decline in crime statistics has coincided with this activity, with a 7% overall reduction in crime for the first half of 2025, a 23% reduction in offences involving the possession of a weapon, and a 6% reduction in violent and sexual offences.

There has been a 29% reduction in the number of shoplifting offences committed in the city centre over the past year — bucking the national trend — and those who have been caught have been jailed for a combined total of over 40 years.

Reflecting on the first year of the Safer City initiative, Mayor Ros Jones said: “We know that safety is a top priority for the residents and businesses of Doncaster. The investment we have made over the past year is making a positive impact on safety, but we acknowledge there is still more to do. I would encourage people to report crime and anti-social behaviour to enable us to continue to work together with the police to combat this.

“We are continuing to invest in the city centre with a number of regeneration projects on the horizon and a clear plan to improve the heart of Doncaster for the future. We have a number of planned activities and events over the next few months as we approach the Christmas season, and we will release more information on these very soon. I would encourage people to come to visit and enjoy the city centre with the added reassurance that we have strong safety measures in place.”

Doncaster District Commander, Chief Superintendent Pete Thorp, added: “Doncaster city centre is the hub of our wonderful city and we want it to be the most welcoming, vibrant and safe place it can possibly be.

“In order to do that, we’ve made your safety a priority by increasing the policing presence in Doncaster city centre and the surrounding area and I am pleased to say we now have a dedicated team of neighbourhood police officers specifically based in the city centre.

“Our policing presence in the city centre is more visible than ever and the feedback we are receiving is that this is helping to make a difference and increase that feeling of safety in the area.

“Along with a general reduction in crime in the city centre and surrounding area, we have seen a notable drop in shoplifting offences, with further decreases in the number of weapons offences and violent and sexual offences.

“We will continue to work alongside City of Doncaster Council and other key partner agencies to do more to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and make you feel even safer in the city centre.”

Members of the public, whether they are based in the city centre or elsewhere across Doncaster, can help keep the community safe by letting the council and police know about any incidents of antisocial behaviour or crime they encounter. More information about how to file these reports can be found by heading to https://www.yourlifedoncaster.co.uk/report-it.

Meanwhile, more information about the Safer City initiative itself can be found by heading to https://www.yourlifedoncaster.co.uk/safer-city