Operation Beech police patrols bring parties to an early end
Police have silenced several student parties in the first two weeks of Operation Beech, the night-time patrols paid for by the University of Bristol to curb student noise.
Residents have reported contacting the patrols and receiving a prompt response.
One says she and her husband texted Beech after a loud party started up in Archfield Road, Cotham. Officers arrived at 11-15pm and talked to the students. The music was turned down—only to go back up again after the officers left. The residents texted again and the officers returned just after midnight.
This time, she says, “the music was turned off for good and the big crowd of students apparently went off to a club. Such a relief. The Beech patrol is highly effective and responsive." (Incident report.)
Other residents have sent in similar reports in relation to three incidents in Waverley Road spread over different dates. (Reports here, here and here). Another resident, who contacted Beech about a party in Oakfield Grove, Clifton, was less fortunate. Officers attended but for reasons that aren’t clear, the party continued. (Incident report.)
Operation Beech will operate in designated areas (see info box) on all Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in October, although officers can always be pulled away to deal with emergencies.
(For updates and a bigger map, see here.)
Coverage in future months will probably be more selective, and dates will be announced nearer the time. Check the link above for any updates.
My own advice (unofficial) for using Beech:
Text, don't call. The officers will probably get lots of requests, and you may not get a direct response unless they need more information.
Keep your text short and begin with the address (street name, house number) or location:
“99 Anyplace Rd: large house party, loud bass, grateful if you can intervene, John”
“Hampton Rd, near petrol station: large, noisy group, approx 15 people, gathered on street, please can you speak to them, Julia”
Be polite, and patient. At times, the officers may be quite busy and may have to prioritise certain incidents.
Don't wait until UoB's 10pm (midweek) or midnight (weekend) party guideline has been breached. The officers are on duty only until 2am, so there will be a problem if requests bunch up after midnight.
Even if you contact Beech, I advise that you also file a complaint email to the university in the normal manner. (See my 'response' pages here if you need help.) If you want to include feedback about the Beech experience in your complaint email, that might be helpful to UoB and the police. (Please copy me in.)
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