Avon and Somerset police say Halloween crime stats fall

Arrests and call-outs were down on Halloween as the efforts of the Safer Bristol Partnership paid dividends.

After several weeks of work involving the police, schools, retailers and partner agencies, the spookiest – and usually busiest – night of the year went relatively peacefully in the city.

On Saturday night, Operation Relentless involved large numbers of police and their police community support officer (PCSO) colleagues out and about on foot, bike, motorcycle and in cars, patrolling the streets and providing reassurance for residents.

There were 19 arrests in Bristol for criminal damage, theft, being drunk and disorderly and assault.

Officers took alcohol from 20 people in the street and half of those were under 18. They also took eggs from three trick or treaters.

A shed break-in was reported in the St George area and PC Andy Peppin and Chief Superintendent Jon Stratford, the head of the Criminal Justice Department, who was out on patrol, chased the suspect and caught him.

More than 600 police officers, special constables, police community support officers and police staff were joined by representatives of partner agencies on patrol for the evening.

Between 4pm on Saturday and 2am on Sunday the police responded to 1,300 incidents force-wide, including Halloween-related calls.

This compared to the 1,500 calls to which the police responded during the same time period over the previous weekend.

During the same Halloween period last year police responded to 1,836 calls - 500 more than this year.

Across the Avon and Somerset force area police seized 112 bottles and cans of booze - 92 from under 18s.

There were 15 arrests in South Gloucestershire for breach of the peace, theft, breach of a community order, assault and criminal damage and 38 alcohol seizures.

There were three arrests in Bath and North East Somerset for public order, assault and drink driving. There were seven alcohol seizures, all from under-18s.

There were three arrests in North Somerset for public order offences and possession of drugs. There were eight alcohol seizures , including five from under-18s

Shortly afterwards, PC Parsons found two boys with a firework they had lit on some steps. But after some friendly advice on the dangers they faced from playing with fireworks, they went off to a party.

A PCSO also told how a group tried to hit him with an egg and PC Parsons heard over his radio of a firework being put through a door in Hillfields.

But for much of the evening all that could be seen were young children dressed in their finest witch, ghost and skeleton outfits being taken around by adults on supervised trick or treat visits to neighbours.

As PC Parsons is normally based at the City Academy, he was on first name terms with many of the older youngsters and joined in their banter.

He said: "Most kids are as good as gold. The vast majority are OK, with just a handful that go the wrong way.

"It has been a quiet night but that's good for us and the public."

The police had spent weeks preparing for Halloween, paying visits to schools to chat to youngsters and to shops to make sure traders did not sell fireworks to under-18s or the popular weapons of flour and eggs.

On the night, officers were called in from rest days to boost numbers on patrol and provide a visible presence on the streets.

Inspector Mark Runacres, the neighbourhood inspector for Southmead, said: "We put a significant number of officers on patrol so those who want to enjoy Halloween can do so while those intent on causing problems for others are deterred. To have a low level of calls is good news."

Neighbourhood Sergeant Terry Scoble, who was patrolling Henbury with PC Julie Blackmore, said:: "On a scale of one to ten for trouble, I couldn't even give it a score of one. It's been more like a mid-week night not a Saturday night Halloween.