Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has backed the #Safer6 campaign in Sandwell as it targets anti-social behaviour.
As part of the #Safer6 campaign, Sandwell Council and West Midlands Police are reporting back on the progress of Operation Eternity to target anti-social behaviour (ASB) in parts of Great Bridge.
Operation Eternity is the name given in the West Midlands to a Home Office-funded pilot project. The West Midlands is one of 10 force areas piloting extra patrols and other partnership activities.
This follows the Police and Crime Commissioner securing an extra £1 million from the Home Office, to clamp down on anti-social behaviour at various locations in the region.
The aims of the operation are that those engaging in ASB are not just presented with enforcement but with a genuine desire to identify underlying causes and divert them into wider support provision.
The types of anti-social behaviour focussed on in Great Bridge, which is one of the areas in the region benefiting from the extra investment, are:
❖ Fly tipping
❖ Drug dealing/use/littering
❖ Rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour
❖ Intimidation or harassment
❖ Criminal damage/vandalism
❖ Motor/quad bikes (used in an anti-social manner) in public spaces
Extra police patrols have now started and the council’s youth services have also recently started two evening sessions a week in the area at the beginning of September. In addition, a new ASB Officer will start work this week patrolling the area and engaging with businesses and communities.
Police and Council are also focussing on engagement with those responsible for ASB in an effort to divert potential criminal behaviour. Working together, the police, housing services and Environmental Protection Officers, as well as partners such as Cranstoun (drug and alcohol support services), are already addressing issues in the area, and the pilot scheme will add to this.
Councillor Syeda Khatun, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, said:
“We are confident that this approach of engaging with those responsible for ASB while not tolerating the ASB itself is the way forward. By bringing people with us, engaging with them and understanding their needs, while also using enforcement where needed, we can make Great Bridge a better place for everyone.”
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said:
“I am pleased to be supporting Sandwell Council by investing in its Safer 6 campaign. It is essential that we work in partnership to improve the quality of life for people in Sandwell.
“I am committed to preventing, tackling and reducing anti-social behaviour, whether that be by way of prevention, early intervention, diversion and addressing the underlying causes, to prevent it happening in the first place, or if necessary, by way of robust enforcement.”
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