Cheltenham Community Safety Partnership (CCSP) for the first time joined forces with race week sponsors Diageo UK (whose portfolio includes Guinness) to safeguard Cheltenham’s premier event – Gold Cup race week.
Thousands of visitors descend on the town and, while most visitors have a fantastic time, unfortunately, some become victims of crime as opportunist thieves seek to take advantage of the relaxed festival atmosphere.
Theft of a wallet, handbag or mobile can be a distressing experience and can also cause a great deal of inconvenience, quite apart from the financial loss.
CCSP (comprising Gloucestershire Police, Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucestershire NHS (Primary Care Trust), Gloucestershire County Council, Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue and the voluntary community sector) and Diageo are aiming to reduce crime to an all-time low, so that visitors to Cheltenham and the local community can enjoy the festivities without becoming a victim.
Steps to achieve this included:
Race-themed, eye-catching table-talkers (pyramid displays) and colourful matching posters will be displayed in nightclubs, taxi booking offices, railway station, restaurants, etc, tactfully reminding visitors to look after their valuables.
Visitors to the Cheltenham Racecourse carrying blue-tooth enabled mobiles will receive a personal welcome message on their arrival each day, and then another crime-reduction message on their departure at the end of the event. Diageo has kindly provided a blue-tooth transmitter to send messages, and it is anticipated that around 6,000 individuals per day will benefit from this text-message service. Cheltenham Racecourse has fully backed the idea and will also be displaying crime-reduction themed messages on TV screens across the racecourse (including the big screen).
Diageo-sponsored taxi marshals will be in operation at the Promenade taxi rank during the evenings throughout the week and, for the first time, a body-worn CCTV camera will be in operation to capture any disorder at close hand.
Colourful flip-flops have been provided to Cheltenham street pastors by Diageo, to help reduce problems at A & E associated with cut feet by women who have taken off their high-heels and are walking around in bare feet.
Police Inspector Richard Boyles, Borough and Partnerships, said: “We are delighted that Diageo are working closely with us to try and keep problems to a minimum during what is, for the Constabulary, a very busy week.”
Mark Baird, who is the Head of Social Responsibility at Diageo GB, said, “We at Diageo are pleased to be able to join forces with the CCSP at such a key time and are committed to supporting ways to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour so that people can enjoy an exciting festival, safely.”
