70% in Derbyshire Times poll say they don't feel safe in the town centre.

[who can tell]

Derbyshire Times are doing a poll to see if people feel safe in the town centre do you feel safe yourself ?

Here's a few things Iv noticed over the last few months:

People drinking and taking drugs and buying on New Beetwell Street.

People high on drugs walking into the road putting themselves at risk and road users.

Approached by druggies and alcoholics in the market place for money.

People shouting abuse on the top of their voices and threatening behavior to others.

The derelict court house on West Bars is a popular spot for drinking leaving the area coved in blood, sick , rubbish , used needles and damage has been done to building itself.

A couple of fights on New Beetwell Street

The Police claim their is no anti social behavior problems around the town do they go round with their eyes shut or are locals seeing things ? I may not live in Chesterfield any more but I can clearly see their are growing problems on each visit  this will put people off visiting the town,business are already struggling without this problem on top. Clearly 70 % people feel unsafe and the problems need addressing now.

[Scimitar]

Don't forget the police at any given one time in Chesterfield really are "the thin blue line"due to ever reducing budgets.
Yes there is still the beggar on the street, but those that I have encountered in daylight do not physically confront you. Mostly seated and ask for small change, and polite if you refuse. Furthermore I've seen people chatting to these guys buying them a coffee or giving them a cigarette - some kind hearted folks engage with them.
Personally I don't feel threatened, but sometimes you see a group of persons from the "lesser privileged" section swearing and shouting usually at each other.
I have seen a tent on the grounds of the old court house from a distance - as for needles & such - I have not been close enough thankfully.
I'm not trying to sweep this under the carpet - undeniably there are problems with drug and alcohol use in Chesterfield which manifests itself on the town centre streets from time to time. I just don't think that Chesterfields problems are any worse than many other town and cities.
Social welfare availability - or its failures as well, sometimes fail to prevent drug & alcohol use so a person hooked in that lifestyle simply carries on regardless for all to see. Sad but true - too many people are affected for their lives to be turned around by love & support - its swept under the carpet

[who can tell]

But 70% clearly think otherwise. In recent mouths people have written or emailed the Derbyshire Times about their concerns Iv myself have had the same guy on more than one occasion ask me for money for tea translation here he really means booze. Iv got off the bus with my daughter on Beetwell Street only to have some broozed up fool swearing their head off or laid out on the floor acting the fool. Yes I understand their been cuts to the Police and services and I'm aware some are genuinely homeless cases. To me Chesterfield slowly turning into another Sheffield .

[Scimitar]

I confess that I don't buy the Derbyshire Times, therefore was unaware of the poll and subsequent comments.
So what is the likely outcome of this poll? Has DT acted on this poll in any way?
70% - 2 in 3 of us don't feel safe in town. Surely that must prompt a response from the Police if no one else?
I suspect reported crime (or the lack of it) will justify statistics in terms of Police presence or availability at any given moment in time in the town centre; therefore people should report more town centre incidents so that staffing levels can be addressed/amended.

[who can tell]

I confess that I don't buy the Derbyshire Times, therefore was unaware of the poll and subsequent comments.
So what is the likely outcome of this poll? Has DT acted on this poll in any way?
70% - 2 in 3 of us don't feel safe in town. Surely that must prompt a response from the Police if no one else?
I suspect reported crime (or the lack of it) will justify statistics in terms of Police presence or availability at any given moment in time in the town centre; therefore people should report more town centre incidents so that staffing levels can be addressed/amended.

I think people have lost faith in the Police when I and my family were living at Arbourthorne we will broken in too we reported it but simply given a crime number and that was that. Its up to people to report crime ( even if nothing happens but gets recorded ) perhaps put pressure on the town council to act businesses have the edge here they could say its damaging their trade and keeping people away they must know already as the Pavements shopping complex belongs to them surly its in their interests who wants to rent a unit their if their is ongoing issues? I heard in passing no idea if ture the council might be thinking of taking down the glass sections
down on the Beetwell Street bus stops which if ture might make it less welcoming . No idea if Derbyshire Times will push the issue or what the basis of the poll is but people have been emailing them or writing to them over a long period hence why they have pick up on the story so these issues are not the product of scaremongering media its on going. Another hotspot IV been told is the library so again the council and the Police must beware of what's happening.

[Scimitar]

Library - again not a place I use but I hear what you say, and as such should be deplored

[Old Cruser]

It's not just Chesterfield it's wherever we go.

We have just returned from  a few days in York for daughters birthday.

There are people ( both sexes ) in doorways with sleeping bags many have dogs.
How the heck can they afford  to feed a dog? Some looked spaced out.

I didn't feel threatened by any of them.

However I was under threat as I found out - by a youth on a Skate Board!

Now at this point I want to swear as my injured foot/ankle is in a support stocking

What happened?
We had just got off a tour bus and turned to walk towards the Jorvik Centre to see and young man ( college student/ 6th form age ) racing towards us on a skate board.
I was horrified as he was heading directly for my daughter who was in her wheelchair.
Seconds before he was due to collide with her he jumped off the skate board which then shot into my ankle at the front of my leg.
Instantly cutting, bruising it and a rapid swelling.

I was not happy, told him off and told him to look what he had done - what he said to me -----
'You shouldn't have been in MY way' 

My hubby was NOT happy!

Can I ask what you chaps on here would have done had it been your wife/partner ??