22 arrests in Cumbrian crackdown on anti-social behaviour

Twenty-two arrests have been made during Cumbria police’s crackdown on anti-social behaviour so far.

Operation Enhance has seen almost 500 extra hours of street patrols by officers in hotspots for anti-social behaviour and serious crime.

The operation was made possible thanks to £1 million of extra funding secured by Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner from the Government’s Hotspot Response Fund.

Extra patrols are being carried out in 18 areas identified by statistical analysis as the county’s hotspot areas of anti-social behaviour and serious violence.

These areas include areas of Carlisle, Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven, Kendal, Penrith, Maryport, Cleator Moor, Ulverston and Bowness-on-Windermere.

Two months into the operation, 490 hours of additional patrols have been undertaken – including more than 226 hours in August.

Over the first two months of the operation, 85 stop and searches have been conducted, 257 intelligence submissions have been submitted and anti-social behaviour powers have been used 13 times.

Operation Enhance officers have made a total of 22 arrests – with 10 of those arrests made during August.

They included an arrest in the early hours of August 5 in Whitehaven town centre for common assault and a number of arrests of wanted people ranging from a man involved in the supply of class A drugs to a man wanted on suspicion of theft from a shop.

Officers also found a missing person and safely returned a man home after finding him inebriated in the middle of the road.

Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “One of my key commitments to residents of Cumbria prior to my election in May was to tackle anti-social behaviour and to get more visible policing on our streets. I committed to this and this is what I am now seeing being delivered by your police in your areas.

“This £1m of extra funding has already provided Cumbria Constabulary with the ability to tackle and prevent anti-social behaviour and serious violence more effectively by getting more officers out on the streets in the areas where we know anti-social behaviour has been a real problem and we are seeing the effects of the extra patrols with these results.

“We are now two months into this operation and we are seeing the effects.”

Increased patrols in the target areas began on July 1 and will continue to operate through until at least the end of March.

T/Chief Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: “August was an extremely busy month for the constabulary with all officers working longer shifts and having rest days cancelled in order to keep people in Cumbria safe during a period of national disorder.

“Despite this, I am pleased to see that we have once again recorded well over 200 hours of extra, dedicated patrols over the past month, focused on anti-social behaviour and serious violence.

“The feedback we have received from the public to the high-visibility patrols in these hotspot areas has been extremely positive and encouraging.

“We will continue to urge the public to report any issues to us immediately so that actions can be taken. Antisocial behaviour can be a serious blight on a community and we are determined to use the opportunity this operation and the funding secured by the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Office to stamp it out.”