Horses help fight crime in Eastwood

POLICE have been horsing around a Rotherham estate in a bid to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.
Pictures of the horses visiting EastwoodPictures of the horses visiting Eastwood
Pictures of the horses visiting Eastwood

South Yorkshire Police’s four-hoofed officers Stocksbridge, Cubley and Bawtry teamed up with their two-legged counterparts as part of a community engagement event in Eastwood.

The event on Tuesday saw Rotherham Central neighbourhood officers work with staff from Rotherham Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour team to get feedback and evidence from the public.

Stocksbridge, Cubley and Bawtry, along with handlers PC Tracey Brown, PC Julie Bradshaw and PC Michelle Goodson, patrolled the streets as officers chatted to residents.

The work forms part of the Eastwood Deal – a multi-agency project that aims to engage with communities, reduce crime and provide a visible presence in the area.

Partners meet every Thursday to share intelligence, plan actions and review the work already undertaken in the area.

There is a drop-in session at 2pm every Wednesday at Eastwood Clifton Learning Partnership where people can speak to officers about issues or ask for advice.

Figures show that when comparing June to November 2016 to the same period in 2017, crime and anti-social behaviour in Eastwood dropped by 12 per cent.

Insp Jenny Lax said: “Our team identified insecure empty properties and contacted landlords, handed out surveys about quality of life and took statements from people living close to properties that have been reported to police.

“No-one should have to put up anti-social behaviour, whether they are being kept up all night by noisy neighbours or fed up of litter piling up on their street.

“There are measures we can take and this activity was all about following up on information given to us by the public.

“We will not tolerate the lives of innocent people being blighted by those choosing to act in a selfish, anti-social and often criminal way.

“We want members of the community to know that we are listening and there are things we can do to tackle anti-social behaviour.

“For example, we can serve closure notices on problem properties, we can issue criminal behaviour orders to repeat offenders and we can also hand out community protection notices.

“To be able to take action we need to gather evidence which is why we have been taking statements and asking people to fill in surveys.

“We want the community to know we are in their neighbourhood and that their voice matters.”

Related topics: