As part of anti-social behaviour week of action partners from the local focus hubs in Cumberland worked together to speak to residents and identify problems.
This seen 498 face to face interactions with communities across Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland, reporting issue such as anti-social behaviour, fly tipping and abandoned cars.
The local focus hubs include partners from Cumbria Police, Cumberland Council, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Remedi and housing associations – Riverside, Home Group, Castle and Coasts and Westfield.
The hubs work together to take a partnership approach to address issues in the community.
Activities across the week included:
- Officers from Carlisle Neighbourhood Policing Team joined partners from Cumbria Fire and Rescue, Riverside Housing and Cumberland Council to carry out a patch walk in the area of Fusehill Street and London Road.
- Officers from Carlisle Neighbourhood Policing Team and Riverside Housing delivered anti-social behaviour awareness talks and bike safety talks with schools in Raffles, Yewdale, Morton and Denton Holme.
- Meeting held with licensed premises in Maryport attend by Allerdale Neighbourhood Policing Team, Allerdale Local Focus Hub, and Cumberland Council following community feedback on anti-social Behaviour, drugs and serious violence.
- Officers from Copeland Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out a patch walk with Cumberland Council and Home Group in Whitehaven Town Centre, speaking to local residents.
- Partners also had help from local school children, Morgan Sindall, Cumbria Fire, Remedi, Homelessness, Housing, Street Cleaning, Greenspaces and Enforcement.
- Officers from Neighbourhood Policing Teams joined Castles & Coasts Housing Association (CCHA) and Cumberland Council for estate walkabouts in Maryport, Whitehaven and Workington.
Partners received some great feedback, especially from a gentleman who was happy to have had a visit from partners and described the difference his neighbours had made to his life.
Chief Superintendent Andy Wilkinson from, Cumbria Constabularies Cumberland BCU said “Anti-social behaviour week highlights the work police and partners agencies do all year round.
“We take a partnership approach and work closely with those in the Local Focus Hubs to tackle issues within the community.
“The number of interactions with our communities throughout this week shows the commitment of our partners to speak to people and understand local issues.”
You can report incidents of anti-social behaviour online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it.
Lisa Brown, Deputy Leader of Cumberland Council and Portfolio Holder for Adults and Communities, said: “The week has been a great opportunity to spotlight all the work our Local Focus Hubs and Community Safety Partnership do to support residents and stamp out ASB.
“It also shows our council colleagues in enforcement and licensing work very closely with police and partners to tackle this.
“A phenomenal amount of engagement went on during the week, and this face-to-face contact is a really important part of our task. We had one person who was delighted to have received a visit - he told us he loves where he lives in Workington, and that his life is made much better by the kindness of his neighbours.”
Anna Bates, Head of Housing at Castle and Coasts Housing Association said: “We believe that everybody has a right to enjoy their home and live safely and peacefully. ASB can really blight neighbourhoods, so it was great to get out into our communities alongside partners from Cumbria Police, Cumberland Council and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service to tackle it hands on.
“It was a highly successful week and I’m really pleased that we were all able to chat with so many residents. It’s a great opportunity to engage with residents who may not otherwise make contact with us and make sure that within our communities there is an awareness of how to contact us and what we can all do to help.”
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “Tackling, reducing and preventing ASB is a community effort.
“I’m pleased to see agencies from across Cumbria coming together to meet with residents and identify the issues. This provides the opportunity for the concern to be dealt with by the best-placed service.
“Anti-social behaviour is the crime-type that is most likely to affect the majority of us. Fear, intimidation and harassment can have a serious impact on communities, drive residents and businesses out of an area and lead to more serious crime so it’s fundamental that we tackle and prevent ASB as soon as possible.
“Thank you to all the organisations that continually work to keep our communities safe and welcoming all year-round.
“As your Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, my role is to be the voice of residents within Cumbria, in respect of the Police and Fire services – I am your voice. If any member of the public has a concern about crime in their area, or around the Constabulary or Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, please raise it with me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or call 01768 217734.”
Throughout December we continue to run extra patrols under Op Enhance | Cumbria Police.
These patrols are in areas identified as hotspots for anti-social behaviour and/or serious violence across the county, with Whitehaven being one of these areas.
The patrols follow funding secured by Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner from the Government’s Hotspot Response Fund to target anti-social behaviour (ASB) and serious violence in hotspot areas across the county.