Praise for Lancashire Police in yobs crackdown (From Lancaster And Morecambe Citizen)

Praise for Lancashire Police in yobs crackdown

12:00pm Thursday 21st June 2012 in News By David Watkinson, Deputy news editor

LANCASHIRE police have pledged to continue their crackdown on anti-social yobs after winning praise in an inspection.

Figures for the first two months of this year show a reduction in anti-social behaviour of 3,613 incidents or a drop of 18.5 per cent in the county.

A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has praised the force for its focus on the issue.

Chief Supt Bob Eastwood, the Constabulary’s lead for anti-social behaviour, welcomed the report, but said the force wasn’t complacent and realised there was still more work to be done.

He said: “Anti-social behaviour takes many forms, from rowdy and noisy behaviour in local neighbourhoods to graff-iti or fly-tipping and violent and threatening behaviour.

“The one thing all of this has in common though, is that it causes residents a great deal of concern and it makes them feel less safe.

“That’s why, here in Lancashire, the police and other partner agencies are putting significant resources into tackling the issue, and making sure victims, particularly vulnerable victims and repeat victims, get the right help and support.

“We have dedicated neighbourhood officers across the county, we regularly use enforcement activity like ASBOs, Closure Orders and arrest, and we work closely with local partner agencies to prevent anti-social behaviour and, where it does happen, find longer term solutions to problems at specific locations or with particular individuals.

“As the HMIC report and our own anti-social behaviour figures show, this is all clearly having a positive effect.”

The report said: “Tackling anti-social behaviour is a specific operational priority for the force with strong support from the chief officer team. Daily tasking and quarterly performance meetings are held to look at anti-social behaviour hot spots.”