Key Points
- Three new sergeants—Dan Butler, Dean Lewis, and Cai Kemish—have joined the Nottingham city centre neighbourhood policing team at Central Police Station in recent months.
- They oversee police constables and PCSOs focused on proactively tackling local issues, with priorities including knife crime, drug crime, and retail crime.
- Sergeant Dan Butler joined in August with 25 years of experience from roles in Tactical Support Group, Firearms Unit, Road Crime Team, and Serious and Organised Crime Unit.
- Sergeant Dean Lewis joined as a PCSO in 2009, previously served as a response officer in the city centre, and is based at Byron House in Maid Marian Way.
- Sergeant Cai Kemish joined in January, previously Beat Manager in Cotgrave, with response roles in Worksop, Retford, and Beeston since 2019.
- The team aims to reduce crime through partnership working with retailers, council departments like Community Protection Officers, and groups such as It’s in Nottingham.
- Initiatives include tackling illegal e-bikes, operations in The Cornerhouse against antisocial behaviour, issuing Community Protection Notices for persistent street begging, and reintroducing beat areas with Teams chats for stakeholders.
- Efforts focus on building trust, visibility, and rapport with the community, including shopkeepers, while addressing complex issues like antisocial behaviour targeting youths.
- Post-festive patrols addressed issues in Old Market Square, now shifting to priorities like retail crime.
- The city centre is described as Nottingham’s “crown jewel” with tourists visiting sites like the Castle and Robin Hood statue, alongside shops and night-time economy.
Inverted Pyramid Structure
Nottingham City Centre(Cardiff Daily) February 06, 2026 – Three new sergeants have joined the neighbourhood policing team in Nottingham city centre, signalling a robust push against knife carriers, drug dealers, and shoplifters. Sergeants Dan Butler, Dean Lewis, and Cai Kemish bring extensive experience to Central Police Station, overseeing constables and PCSOs tackling knife crime, drug crime, and retail crime as top priorities. Their arrival strengthens efforts to make the area safer for residents, tourists, and visitors.
Who Are the New City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Sergeants?
Sergeant Dan Butler joined the City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team in August, offering 25 years of policing experience within Nottinghamshire Police. As reported in the official Nottinghamshire Police news release, Sergeant Butler has served in diverse units including the Tactical Support Group, Firearms Unit, Road Crime Team, and Serious and Organised Crime Unit. He oversees a group of officers dedicated to proactive problem-solving.
Sergeant Butler emphasised the commitment of his team, stating: “I’m fortunate in that my officers are hardworking and they are passionate. They’ve all different backgrounds and bring something different to the table.” He highlighted complex city centre challenges requiring partnership approaches, noting: “Partnership working is a massive part of that. You have to come together with retailers, council departments such as the Community Protection Officers and other key partners such as It’s in Nottingham and we’re all committed to making a positive difference.”
Sergeant Butler described neighbourhood policing as a refreshing challenge after his varied career. He said: “I’ve been here since August and it’s certainly been a busy time since I joined. It’s been tiring and it’s been challenging but I’m also enjoying it.” Recent efforts include post-festive patrols in Old Market Square and targeting illegal e-bikes, a noted nuisance. “We can breathe a little bit now after the issues in Old Market Square over the festive period. We’re still carrying out patrols to keep people safe but it’s good to also be concentrating now on some of the key priorities such as retail crime – and we’ve also been doing a lot on tackling illegal e-bikes that have been a nuisance in the city centre,” he added.
What Experience Does Sergeant Dean Lewis Bring?
Sergeant Dean Lewis joined Nottinghamshire Police as a PCSO in 2009 and has prior experience as a response officer in the city centre. He is now based at Byron House in Maid Marian Way, returning to the area in a neighbourhood capacity. As detailed in the Nottinghamshire Police safer neighbourhoods update, Sergeant Lewis expressed delight at rejoining the team.
He described the city centre as “the crown jewel of Nottingham in the sense it’s where tourists come to see things like the Castle and Robin Hood statue, and we’ve also got the shops, the night-time economy and concert venues.” Sergeant Lewis underscored safety goals: “That’s a lot of people coming to the city centre and we want it to feel like a nice place where everyone feels safe.” Acknowledging common urban issues, he noted: “Most city centres have issues around retail crime, antisocial behaviour and drug crime. Nottingham is no different but myself and the other two sergeants have a real drive and passion to ensure offenders are swiftly dealt with so people can continue to enjoy everything the city has to offer.”
With a personal stake, Sergeant Lewis mentioned his 15-year-old daughter: “I’ve got a massive passion for the city centre. I have a teenage daughter who is 15 years old and I want her to feel safe when she comes into the city.” He prioritises community input: “I really want to listen to what people are saying and then work closely with our partners and colleagues across the force, such as the Prevention Hub, to design a plan that addresses the concerns that people have around issues such as antisocial behaviour.” Innovations include targeting problematic youths: “It’s about coming up with new ideas and projects that target those youths coming into the city centre and causing problems.”
How Is Sergeant Cai Kemish Contributing?
Sergeant Cai Kemish joined the team in January, bringing expertise from his prior role as Beat Manager of Cotgrave in Rushcliffe. Since joining Nottinghamshire Police in 2019, he has held response positions in Worksop, Retford, and most recently Beeston. According to the Nottinghamshire Police news, he is eager for proactive policing.
Sergeant Kemish stated: “I’ve enjoyed my time on response but I’m ready to get myself involved in the proactive side of policing and problem-solving.” He identified key issues: “I like getting my teeth stuck into a specific issue and there’s plenty of scope to do that in a city centre. Retail crime is a huge issue at the moment and beyond that there’s drug crime, knife crime and antisocial behaviour. A lot of those issues are interlinked so if you can make progress on one issue it can have a positive knock-on effect in other areas.”
Early actions show promise: “I’ve been in the role for a few weeks and so far it’s been brilliant. There’s been plenty going on. We’re underway with a few operations and have had some really good results already.” Specific measures include an operation in The Cornerhouse: “We’ve started an operation in The Cornerhouse to clampdown on antisocial behaviour and we’ve been issuing Community Protection Notices to prevent things like persistent and aggressive street begging.” He praised the team: “We’ve got some really proactive officers on the team and there’s a lot of experience and knowledge within the team. I’ve just had two new officers join so we’re a new team and we’re all very eager to get going.”
What New Initiatives Are in Place?
A key change is the return of beat areas, ensuring dedicated coverage. Sergeant Lewis explained: “We’ve brought back beats so everyone has their own allocated area within the city centre. All the officers having been going out there and introducing themselves to the community.” Rapport-building is central: “I want them to know the names of shopkeepers and build up that rapport so we can work together to tackle crime.” Communication tools support this: “It’s great to be saying to people, this is your officer for the area – if you have any worries or concerns about anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’ve also linked stakeholders together. Each beat area now has a Teams chat so everyone can communicate and engage with each other. It’s a refreshing approach and everyone’s really embracing it.”
Why Focus on Building Community Trust?
Beyond enforcement, the team prioritises visibility and accessibility. Neighbourhood policing involves being a familiar presence to foster trust. Sergeant Butler noted no overnight fixes exist but strategies involve public, private, and third sectors. All sergeants stress interlinked issues like knife crime, drugs, and retail theft, aiming for broader crime reduction.
