Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach has welcomed advances made to tackle antisocial behaviour in Countesthorpe – but said more work was needed to expose hidden problems that are not being reported.
He met police and local authority representatives in the village last night (4 Aug) to hear a progress update on the work implemented to drive down ASB in the area following a spate of incidents in the village.
Shortly after his election the Commissioner promised action to help local residents affected by the problem. Since the police and partners launched a crackdown, ASB incidents in the area have fallen and the multiagency measures put in place to deter nuisance problems have been well-received.
However, the PCC said the figures only went so far in revealing the problem and that a number of more villagers might be suffering in silence without raising concerns with the police. This meant the true scale of the situation was difficult to assess.
“I’m very encouraged by the picture that is emerging of falling ASB incidents that is testament to the strong partnership working in place to resolve the issues,” he said.
“Police patrols alongside the council’s Impact teams have delivered a strong, visible enforcement presence in the area as part of a preventative approach and are also helping us to build links with local victims of ASB. The presence of the BB19 Youth Bus has also been well-received and this has had a positive effect on the relationships between young people and the police as well as the other agencies involved in improving safety in Countesthorpe.
“While I’m delighted that we’re moving in the right direction, there is a need to sustain this improvement with a continued focus on encouraging residents to report their experiences of ASB so that the public protection agencies involve know exactly what they’re dealing with. One of the ways we aim to address this is to develop a community drop-in reporting centre to enable local people to communicate their concerns more easily.
“It’s still early days but the figures suggest we’ve reached a turning point in the battle against ASB in Countesthorpe and the joint agency working, alongside the high-profile attention our work has generated, is really affecting change.”
The PCC has been at the forefront of a united effort to curb ASB in Countesthorpe involving Blaby District Council, the Youth Offending Service and Leicestershire County Council.
Among a host of preventative measures introduced was a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which will be sensitively implemented for a period of six months to tackle the escalating situation.
The order, which was supported by 95% of the 250 consulted in the village, restricts young people aged between 10 and 17 from gathering in groups of more than four people, behaving in a way that is likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress, being in the possession of, or consuming alcohol and using, possessing or supplying any intoxicating substances including psychoactive substances.
Any breach of the conditions could result in formal action being taken by the Police or the Council in the form of a Community Resolution or even prosecution.
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Posted on Friday 5th August 2016