Cleveland Police Continues to Tackle ASB During Awareness Week

Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week saw enforcement patrols, education and vehicles seized in a week of action across Cleveland.

Officers from across the Force were busy patrolling in hotspot areas where ASB is frequently reported as well as educating children in local schools around how ASB can impact the local community and taking enforcement action where necessary.

ASB can take many forms and can include anything from aggressive, noisy or abusive behaviour to neighbourhood disturbances involving drugs or animals.

Throughout the week, police and partners highlighted the actions that can be taken by those experiencing ASB, support available and operational activity to tackle it.

Chief Inspector Wendy Tinkler, ASB lead for the Force, spoke to local BBC Tees radio to raise awareness of the week of action, what it is and why it takes place.

In Hartlepool, 15 ASB warnings were issued in hotspot areas, there were joint patrols with security in Middleton Grange Shopping Centre and local retail parks and PC Geoff Coggin visited a number of schools to give presentations to the children in conjunction with Outreach.

In Redcar and Cleveland there were drone deployments in Eston Hills in conjunction with the Fire Brigade, an area which has become a target for fires, off-road bikes and criminal damage in recent years.

There were numerous foot patrols around the whole of the area and a visit to St Peters Catholic College in South Bank where the neighbourhood team assisted the students with mock interviews.

Inspector Ian Mitchell joined Cleveland Fire Brigade colleague Rita Richardson on Zetland FM to talk about the rural volunteers and how they assist police with rural ASB issues.

Middlesbrough neighbourhood officers carried out high visibility patrols, visited local schools and carried out parking patrols around schools as children were arriving and leaving to ensure their safety, known as Operation Rochford.

Untaxed and uninsured vehicles were also targeted in the Newport area alongside Middlesbrough Council, resulting in the seizure of a number of vehicles.

Stockton officers have carried out hotspot patrols, off-road bikes patrols and conducted a speed watch event on Darlington Lane in Norton after concerns from residents about antisocial driving and speeding vehicles.

Special Constabulary officers carried out patrols in and around Teesside Park and Cineworld car parks, where car enthusiasts sometimes meet in large numbers.

One vehicle was seized after a second warning was issued to the same driver within 12 months regarding antisocial driving.

Enforcement action was taken in relation to a variety of offences including driving without due care and attention, an illegal tyre and contravening a red traffic light signal. Six traffic offence reports were issued in total.

A second warning was issued for antisocial driving, which was a first warning for the driver involved.

Chief Inspector Wendy Tinkler, Force lead on ASB, said: “Antisocial behaviour can have a massive detrimental effect on people’s lives and it can be a precursor to more serious crime. It’s important that police work together with the community and our partner agencies to tackle the issue and allow people to live without fear or harassment. That's why we carry out activity day in and day out to tackle ASB.”

To report ASB to Cleveland Police, please call 101 or 999 in an emergency. ASB incidents can also be reported to police online: https://www.cleveland.police.uk/ro/report/asb/af/antisocial-behaviour/

 

Members of the public can also report via the COPA app, which was created by Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner. The app is designed to be easy and accessible and adds another way for people to get in touch with the Force.

Download here:

Apple users can download the COPA app here: COPA on the App Store (apple.com)

Android users can download the COPA app here: COPA - Cleveland Policing App - Apps on Google Play

 

For more information on how to report to your local council, please see below web pages:

https://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/community-safety/anti-social-behaviour

https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/crime-and-safety/anti-social-behaviour

https://www.stockton.gov.uk/article/5976/Report-anti-social-behaviour

https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/info/20043/community_safety/1094/anti-social_behaviour/1