Bournemouth Together - The Clear Hold Build Strategy
'Bournemouth Together' is a partnership project which will see targeted increased activity to reduce criminal behaviour such as drug offences, antisocial behaviour, violent crime, and exploitation of vulnerable people in the central Bournemouth area.
The Bournemouth Together project is based upon the Clear Hold Build model, a national initiative developed by the Home Office. The three-phase approach focuses on clearing serious organised crime from an area, building community resilience, improving trust and confidence in the police, and making the location a safer place to live and work.
The initiative, which began in March with the ‘Clear’ phase, will place the community at the heart of its work. It will see Dorset Police and South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU) work closely with partners including BCP Council to strengthen communities and prevent those at risk from being drawn into crime.
The three stages to the Bournemouth Together initiative include:
- Clear – Targeted activity and crime disruption led by Dorset Police. Includes enhanced visible patrols, arrests, warrants, and dispersal powers utilised.
- Hold – Stabilise the area to stop criminals moving in on cleared areas. Ensure spaces remain safe.
- Build – Community-driven action to address causes of crime and prevent it from happening again.
Bournemouth is the first place in Dorset to roll-out Clear, Hold, Build. Similar projects, based on the same model, have been rolled out across the country, and have shown to reduce crime and violence and improve partnership work and community relationships.
