Doncaster Safer City Update
Under the Safer City initiative, City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Police are working together to ensure that Doncaster is a safe, secure and welcoming environment.
Safety Efforts Intensified for Winter of Action Initiative
Ensuring that our city centre is a safe, secure and welcoming place is a top priority for the council and the police all year round. However, December and January saw both organisations stepping up their routine activities here, as part of a nationwide initiative.
Led by the UK Home Office, this “Winter of Action” had agencies all over the country taking proactive steps to improve safety in their respective urban environments.
Of course, here in Doncaster, we are already doing a lot to address issues like crime and antisocial behaviour via our Safer City initiative.The Winter of Action simply saw us redoubling those efforts, with a particular focus on tackling the unique challenges that come with this time of year (when evenings grow darker, the night-time economy gets livelier, and certain illegal activities become more commonplace).
Among other things, there were increased patrols in city centre hotspots, coordinated days of action to tackle crime and disorder, and a suite of resources being made available to help people better protect themselves during their nights out in the city centre.
Highlights from the Winter of Action
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2,642 hours of city centre patrols from council teams across December and January
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382 hours of police patrols in the city centre covering a total of 612 miles
- 125 enforcement actions taken by council officers in response to breaches of the city centre Public Spaces Protection Order.
- Multiple joint days of action to tackle antisocial behaviour in key hotspot areas
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16 Days of activism against gender violence, which saw practical steps being taken to make women feel safer in parks and open spaces, anti-spiking campaigns in pubs and clubs and a wide range of domestic abuse initiatives.
- Operation Blitzen launched by South Yorkshire Police, which saw proactive policing to tackle night-time economy issues, domestic abuse, burglaries and antisocial behaviour over Christmas
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88 arrests in Doncaster city centre for theft, burglary, drug supply and public order offences
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Taxi Marshalls working over the Christmas and New Year period to help people get home safely
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The return of the Safe Haven service in December, providing a reassuring place for vulnerable people who need support in the city centre
- The relaunch of the “Best Bar None” scheme, helping people make more informed decisions about where they can go to enjoy safe nights out
- Police and council Safer City officers engaging with the public at Christmas Cabins over the festive period
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Crackdown on Drug Supply As £1M of Illegal Substances Seized in Early 2026 Warrants
Officers from the Doncaster Central Neighbourhood Policing Team have been cracking down on drug supply lately, with over £1m of illegal substances seized during targeted, intelligence-led warrants in the first month of 2026 alone.
Large scale cannabis cultivations were found hidden inside unsuspecting premises in the city centre and the surrounding central area. These farms are often linked to organised crime groups who wreak fear and violence in our communities through their criminal activities. They also pose a significant fire risk, threatening the safety of innocent people living in neighbouring properties.
For a roundup of each of these recent cases, and how the culprits in question were caught, please click the link below.
Retail Crime Team Targets Shoplifters in City Centre
While neighbourhood policing colleagues are getting great results in their efforts to tackle organised crime and local drug supply, Doncaster’s dedicated retail crime team is similarly cracking down on another big priority for our city centre. Namely, shoplifting!
Increased high-visibility patrols this winter have seen the tracking and targeting of known offenders, while officers have also been liaising with retailers and shoppers to ensure that they are well protected.
Indeed, there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes here. To learn more about this, click on the link below and hear from PC Louise Green as she explains how the police catch offenders, and then head out on patrol with PC Gwyn Howroyd to see her in action.
How to Report Offroad Bike Misuse
The inappropriate use off-road bikes can cause a nuisance for residents. However, in certain cases it also be linked to more serious offences, such as property damage, dangerous driving, intimidation, antisocial behaviour, theft, drug dealing and even organised crime.
Rest assured that, South Yorkshire Police and City of Doncaster Council are working together to try and tackle this issue wherever it may occur across the borough. You can support our efforts here by alerting us to any problems we need to know about. The most effective way to do this is to call 101 with as much detail as possible.
Alternatively, if you wish to share information anonymously, you can do so via the independent charity Crimestoppers by either calling 0800 555 111 or visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
When making a report online about any kind of vehicle nuisance, please try to include as much detail as you can, including the times, dates and specific locations of any incidents, as well as descriptions of the offenders in question and their vehicles. This kind of information always makes a big difference with our investigations and helps us to ensure that appropriate action is taken. Together, we can make Doncaster a safe and welcoming environment for all.
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