Two high-profile ‘days of action’ saw Humberside Police teaming up with council enforcement officers, street cleaners and outreach workers to bring about a positive change to Scunthorpe town centre.
Officers responded to reports of drug users, street drinking and shoplifters in the town centre by increasing focused patrols for two days.
The action resulted in:
• Three men arrested for possession with intent to supply drugs
• One man arrested for shop theft
• One man arrested for theft and assault
• One man arrested for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order
• One man arrested for failing to attend court
• Two men summonsed to court for possession of drugs.
• Eleven fines issued for breaching the PSPO by cycling in the pedestrian zone of the High Street.
A police sniffer dog was bought to the area and the Neighbourhood Policing Team set up a consultation point to offer advice and reassurance to shoppers, workers and businesses in the town centre.
Residents were encouraged to sign up to My Community Alert and home security packs were handed out thanks to the Community Safety Partnership.
Council enforcement officers, including the envirocrime team, joined the police to challenge people dropping litter, drinking, cycling through pedestrian areas and businesses fly-tipping.
Fines were handed out when appropriate.
A team from Safer Neighbourhoods, We Are With You drug and alcohol support and The Foundry joined the patrols and outreach workers were also on hand to engage with beggars and loiterers and anyone else who needed support.
Cllr John Davison, cabinet member for community wellbeing (urban), praised the joint effort, saying: “We and our partners are committed to making the town centre a safe and welcoming place for workers, residents, and shoppers.
“These action days show that by working together, we can create a visible and immediate impact on safety and public confidence.”
Community Policing Inspector Tom Stevens said: “The two days have shown what can be achieved when we come together as a community to tackle the issues that matter most. The positive feedback we’ve received from the residents and businesses has been amazing, and has underlined the positive impact of the days of action.
“I’m incredibly proud of everyone involved, and I know this operation has made our streets safer. It’s been amazing to see the positive energy around this work, we’ll keep doing everything we can to make sure the community feels safe and supported.
“None of this would have been possible without the dedication of everyone involved, the officers, our partners, and, of course, the public. I want to extend my thanks to everyone who made this initiative such a success, and I am positive we can continue to build on this in the future.”
The initiative is part of ongoing efforts by the Council and Humberside Police to enhance safety and tackle anti-social behaviour, and comes after the launch of the successful Safer Night NL scheme, which sees businesses signing up to the Safer Nights Charter and pledging to take the safety of everyone in the night-time economy seriously.
