VIOLENT town centre crime has been cut in half following a police crackdown.
The implementation of Operation Nighthawk, which involves increased police foot patrols in Weymouth town centre over weekend evenings, has seen a reduction in reported violent crimes.
The evening patrols are a new initiative from Weymouth & Portland Police, introduced in the summer and was developed following the 'significant successes' of Bournemouth's Operation Nightjar, a hotspot policing initiative in the night-time economy running for the past few years, police said.
Operation Nighthawk was implemented by Weymouth Inspector Nicola Chalstrey, with tactical advice from BCP Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Sophie Williams.
This initiative is part of a national Home Office project and has already made 'a real difference locally' since its launch, police said.
Inspector Williams, Dorset Police's hotspot policing delivery lead, was out on foot patrols in Weymouth on Friday night to see first hand how night time foot patrols are being carried out and to support the officers in keeping the town safe.
Inspector Williams has been working alongside the Home Office for the past 18 months, delivering the nationwide Hotspot Action Fund (HAF) project right here in Dorset.
She said: "Standing alongside the Weymouth officers tonight, I see their dedication and commitment to public safety. Their efforts not only protect the community, but also demonstrate how targeted policing can deliver lasting results by using data effectively"
The patrols take place between 7pm and 2am by patrol officers and neighbourhood policing team (NPT) officers in areas identified as crime hotspots.
During these patrols, officers engage with the community and offer reassurance through being highly visible and responding to ongoing incidents, which police says has often resulted in arrests and people being instructed to leave the town under disposal orders.
As well as patrols by uniformed officers, police say that resources have been strengthened further by teams out on plain-clothed patrols and carrying out licensing visits.
The force has also launched its internally designed My Patrols app countywide in July and has been described as 'Strava for policing' as it logs foot patrols and metrics in real time.
Information from the My Patrols app is shared with multi agency partners, the public and the Home Office. The app has already garnered interest up and down the UK, but also internationally from Canadian Police and the New York Police department.