Your neighbourhood policing team
My name is Steven Benbow and I am the Neighbourhood Inspector responsible for Cheltenham.
I joined Gloucestershire Constabulary in 2006 as a Police Community Support Officer in Cheltenham. This is where my enthusiasm for Neighbourhood Policing began.
In 2013 I joined as a police officer and worked in various departments including the Investigation Team and Response Teams in Cheltenham and Gloucester, but my passion still remained in Neighbourhood Policing and I knew this is where I wanted my career to develop.
I believe that by working with our community and partners we can create a safe town for all to enjoy, especially within the day and night time economies. It is vital that your Neighbourhood Policing Team builds strong relationships and understands the concerns of the community. Creating innovative ideas and partnerships within the community is key to understanding how Neighbourhood Policing can help the wide range of communities we police.
I was born and brought up in Cheltenham and I continue to love the town I live and raise my family in. I am proud to be from Cheltenham (especially having played in goal for the Robins for a small time) and I will strive for it to be a town we are all proud to live in.
Sgt Ashfield joined Gloucestershire Police in 2019. He has worked in both Gloucester and Cheltenham, however the majority of his career has been as a Response Officer in Cheltenham. He joined the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Team in October 2023. He is committed to working with partner agencies to solve long-term problems within the community and also enjoys the proactive elements of neighbourhood policing.
Youth Engagement Officer
Crime Prevention Officer
Crimes and priorities
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Priority:
Action taken:
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Priority:
Working to minimise anti-social behaviour in the Springbank area. In particular ASB in the retail areas and Parks and Gardens esp into the Summer Months and School Holidays.
Action taken:
Targeted patrols and crime prevention advice will be available from the team, as well as planned dates for the Community Engagement Bus to be out in retails areas of the Town. Check our events page for dates and times
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Priority:
The team are focussing on intelligence gathering and taking action to target those on illegal e bikes and scooters.
Action taken:
Work continues to collate the intelligence on these bikes and Operations are being planned into the Summer months to target these illegal bikes and the ASB that comes with the use of them. Work continues..
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Priority:
The Team have had various reports of vulnerable members of the Community that need safeguarding for themselves as well as the Community.
Action taken:
Various vulnerable members of the public are being supported by the Police and partner agencies to get them the right help for their needs as well as safeguarding themselves and the wider community. Injunctions are being looked at as a tool to assist with these continued issues, as well as working closing with the Housing providers, social care and our Vulnerability Team. Work continues into the Summer months..
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Priority:
There has been an increase of reports of Neighbourly disputes, which the Team are dealing with , along side our Partners especially Housing, who often take the lead in these Neighbour disputes.
Action taken:
The Local PCSO is working with Housing to find solutions for all the parties involved in Neighbourhood disputes. Community Resolutions between all parties is often the way forward, however sometimes working with housing a move is looked at. A Clsure Order has been placed on one address, to protect the Vulnerable home owner, this means that only named people on the closure order that Police provide are allowed into a particular address. Work continues based on each individual dispute.