Additional police patrols announced for Chelmsford city centre this summer
Chelmsford City Council and Essex Police are joint-funding extra police patrols in the city centre this July, August and September, to ensure Chelmsford remains safe and welcoming for everyone.
Increased evening patrols to include Central Park
Additional patrols will provide an increased police presence on Friday and Saturday evenings, focusing on areas where people tend to gather in the summer months. Officers will carry out extra patrols in the city centre and popular green spaces such as Central Park, Bell Meadow and Chelmer Valley Local Nature Reserve, from 7pm until 3am.
The cost of these patrols will be shared evenly by Chelmsford City Council and Essex Police. The council’s share of the funding comes from its dedicated anti-social behaviour fund, allocated in the 2026/27 budget.
Councillor Natacha Dudley, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, says the council works closely with Chelmsford’s policing team:
““Chelmsford City Council and Essex Police are constantly working in partnership with each other, and council officers, particularly in CCTV, frequently assist police with their investigations. Chelmsford Civic Centre is home to our Community Safety Hub, where the district policing team are based, right next to the council’s Public Health and Protection team.
Cllr Natacha Dudley, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Chelmsford City Council
"It’s natural for people to feel shocked and uneasy when a tragic incident takes place, as it did last month in Central Park. Although there is no ongoing risk to the public, an increased police presence will help ensure everyone feels safe and supported this summer. We’re grateful to our partners at Essex Police for working with us to set up these extra evening patrols.
"We hope these joint-funded patrols, alongside the continual work of our own dedicated officers, will further reassure the public that Chelmsford is a safe place to be.”
Enhanced visible police presence
Increased patrols and a visible police presence have proven effective in deterring crime, most recently with Operation Guardian. The hotspot policing model saw targeted patrols by police and CSAS (Community Safety Accreditation Scheme) accredited council officers of 15 hotspots across Essex, including two in Chelmsford. Essex Police recently reported that the operation’s collective 25,000 hours of high-visibility patrols “led to 353 arrests, a 13% reduction in anti-social behaviour and an 11% reduction in serious violence over the past year.”
The District Commander for Chelmsford and Maldon, Chief Inspector Aaron Homatopoulos, says a coordinated approach will help ensure Chelmsford remains safe and welcoming for everyone this summer:
““Visible policing plays a vital role in preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, reassuring residents and visitors, and enabling officers to engage with the public and respond quickly if issues arise.
Chief Inspector Aaron Homatopoulos, Chelmsford district commander, Essex Police
"Complementing the work we’re already doing, including working closely with CCTV operators and local businesses through dedicated Townlink radios to prevent and tackle crime, these joint-funded patrols will help ensure these key spaces can be enjoyed safely throughout the summer. We’re all talking to each other, working together to ensure a coordinated and effective approach to keeping people safe.
"We already carry out regular targeted patrols in areas of Chelmsford identified as hotspots for potential offending. This work is having a measurable impact, with crime down almost 5% year-on-year in the city centre. We recognise understandable concerns following a recent serious knife-related incident in Central Park, which saw two people swiftly arrested, charged and brought before the courts. However, it is important to recognise that knife crime continues to fall.”
Across the Chelmsford district, knife-enabled crime, including possession offences, has fallen by almost 18% year-on-year, with 53 fewer incidents over 12 months. More broadly, serious violence has fallen by 29% year-on-year.
Further enforcement presence in the community
These positive crime figures follow the work of Operation Guardian and the introduction of Night Marshals, who have been operating in the city centre since January 2026. The CSAS and SIA (Security Industry Authority) accredited marshals, funded by Chelmsford City Council, patrol the city centre on Saturday evenings from 10pm–4am and are set to add Friday night patrols to their schedule. They are also carrying out additional patrols on England match days during the World Cup.
The council’s Community Safety and Community Protection teams also carry out regular uniformed patrols in the city centre, contributing to the city’s visible enforcement presence. Throughout the summer, community safety officers are holding daytime engagement pop-ups in Chelmsford High Street, to chat with the public and share advice on personal safety. You’ll find them in Tindal Square every Thursday.
CCTV network connects police, businesses and council officers
While enforcement officers can’t be everywhere at once, CCTV surveillance is always active. Chelmsford’s CCTV network is monitored 24/7 by council officers, who have two-way communication with Essex Police and with businesses using PubLink. The CCTV control room also has direct contact with the city’s Night Marshals and SOS Bus, which is another visible support presence in the High Street every Friday and Saturday evening.
The CCTV network’s cameras and monitoring equipment are constantly reviewed and, most recently, enhancements have been made to coverage of Duke Street and Viaduct Road.
CCTV cameras in Central Park.
Ongoing work of Safer Chelmsford partnership
It’s not just the police and the council who are working to keep Chelmsford safe; multiple agencies are active across the district. The Safer Chelmsford Partnership works together to make Chelmsford a safe place to live, work and visit by addressing crime and disorder, substance misuse and the reduction of re-offending.
You can learn more about the partnership and its members at chelmsford.gov.uk/communities/community-safety/safer-chelmsford-partnership/.
You can hear more about the partnership’s ongoing work by signing up to the Safer Chelmsford Newsletter. Just visit pages.comms.chelmsford.gov.uk/pages/subcribe-to-chelmsford-city-council and select Chelmsford City Council, then Community safety and public health.
