Some of Cleveland’s most vulnerable communities will get hotspot patrols in a bid to combat anti-social behaviour.
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Steve Turner has secured £1m in Government funding to run hotspot patrols across Cleveland.
It’s one of just 10 pilot areas in England and Wales, where patrols aim to deter offenders and provide reassurance for communities.
High visibility, uniformed patrols will operate in areas that have been identified as having high levels of antisocial behaviour.
Hotspot areas have been identified using data from the police, fire brigade and local authorities. They have chosen target areas by analysing recent and historic incidents of anti-social behaviour.
Patrols will take place within micro-site across 15 council wards in Cleveland.
Cleveland PCC Steve Turner said: “I am delighted that the Government has chosen Cleveland to be one of a handful of pilots for this scheme.
“Antisocial behaviour is the biggest issue for most residents in Cleveland – and the one, which I receive most public feedback on.”
The Middlesbrough wards included in the pilot are: Berwick Hills and Pallister, Hemlington, Longlands and Beechwood, Park and Park End and Beckfield.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: “This will be a great boost for our warden service and will increase our ability to maintain a community safety presence across Middlesbrough.”
Councillor Norma Stephenson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community safety,said: “These additional patrols are a welcome boost to help us tackle anti-social behaviour in targeted areas.
“We know there are some areas of concern where increased police visibility will make a big difference to protect and reassure residents, so we are very pleased to be included in one of the pilot areas.
“Stockton-on-Tees is one of the safest areas in the region and we are committed to working with our partners to make sure it remains that way.”
The effectiveness of the pilot will be evaluated using a number of methods including public perception surveys.
The number of enforcement actions and incidents of anti-social behaviour during the pilot will also be monitored to gauge its success.
The ASB hotspot pilot will run until the end of March 2024. Learning from the pilot areas will be used to inform the scheme’s national roll out, which will take place from April next year.