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Authorities in Nottingham are intensifying efforts to address ongoing youth disturbances in the city centre through a new initiative aimed at tackling persistent juvenile offenders after school hours. This crackdown, known as Operation View, focuses on boys and girls starting from as young as 10 years old amid rising apprehension over various types of criminal behaviour and anti-social activities.
The police have reported incidents involving shoplifting, possession of drugs and weapons, and unauthorized access to abandoned buildings, where some young people have been throwing objects from the rooftops. Currently, 24 children are being monitored via a “watchlist,” and measures including dispersal notices have been implemented to restrict these individuals from entering the city centre.
Sgt Cai Kemish, who leads Operation View, highlighted that some children perceive arrests as a “badge of honour.” He explained, “At its most serious, you have individuals carrying machetes, knives, they’re causing a considerable problem.” While initial arrests sometimes act as a deterrent, others revel in the attention, even boasting about it on social media. This complicates efforts to curb their involvement in further offenses.
The operation has identified multiple groups from Nottingham and West Bridgford who engage in harassing the public and shop employees, often dismissing their disruptive conduct as mere “pranks.” Shop staff have expressed frustration, describing how groups of children create a noisy and chaotic environment that discourages shoppers. For example, staff at Tossed café have repeatedly dealt with youths hurling soft drinks and verbally abusing workers. Owner Tara Zaman shared that her employees have been “taunted” and “tormented” several times by the same group.
To enhance public safety, officers from Operation View conduct foot and vehicle patrols late into the evening, frequently checking in with local businesses to offer reassurance and discourage troublesome behaviour. The police have also worked with property owners to secure abandoned buildings frequently used by young offenders for trespassing. During patrols, officers have intervened in several incidents, including one in Pelham Street where a group of youths fled as police arrived, resulting in some being caught and searched.
In one particular encounter, a teenager was detained after trying to evade police near the Victoria Centre and admitted uncertainty about his identity. Another young individual, recently out of school, was handcuffed and searched for drugs. PC Josh Dowdy recounted repeatedly dealing with a 12-year-old boy banned from the city centre who has been “terrorising our city streets” by intimidating the public, wearing a balaclava and stealing from shops. This young boy was eventually returned home by police, with an aunt agreeing to look after him in his father’s absence. The officers confiscated his balaclava and vapes and issued a 48-hour dispersal notice banning his presence in the city centre.
Sgt Kemish noted that responses from families vary, with some parents expressing shock and removing privileges to help correct their child’s behaviour. However, others appear indifferent, prompting the police to escalate actions by
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