'Worrying' town centre ASB rates 'halved' after police work

NEIGHBOURHOOD police officers in Rotherham have “halved” daily rates of anti-social behaviour reports in the town centre following a “cohesive response” by the force including high visibility foot patrols.

Rotherham Central NPT Insp John Crapper said: “In Spring 2024 Rotherham Central Neighbourhood Policing Team received rising reports of anti-social behaviour and crime in the town centre.

“These worrying spates of ASB were not only affecting residents and people visiting the town centre, but also were impacting local businesses and the economy.

“We were receiving complaints from local businesses about shoplifting affecting viability of establishments.

“Spots within the town centre were attracting rising rates of ASB causing local people to not want to visit the area.

“We quickly realised that a cohesive response to tackle these issues was urgently required.

“We have implemented more high-visibility foot patrols which act as a deterrent to potential criminals and also provided the team opportunities to identify any prolific offenders.

“Reacting quickly and launching prompt investigations into new reports of ASB meant that no opportunities were lost to identify perpetrators and take action against them.”

Insp Crapper added: “It has been important to appropriately deal with offenders on a case-by-case basis to ensure minimise the risk of re-offending.

“This included the use of behavioural contacts, such as Criminal Behaviour Orders and Criminal Community Protection Notices.

“We have worked with Rotherham Council, identifying offenders whose behaviour could be tackled through civil remedies and out-of-court disposals.

“Establishing regular meetings with partners has been essential to handling this problem, as well as setting up a Business Crime Reduction Partnership which has attracted over 40 local businesses.

“Thank you to all the businesses, retail workers and local people who engaged with us and helped us achieve this result.

“Although it is fantastic to see these results, we will not rest on our laurels.

“We will continue to work proactively to target anti-social behaviour as we know just how much it affects local communities.

“Please continue to report any issues or concerns you have to us so we can properly and thoroughly investigate, identify the offenders and take appropriate action."