Partners Join Forces to Crack Down on Anti-Social Behaviour

A joint council and police operation to tackle youth crime and disorder in South Tyneside has led to a significant drop in reports of anti-social behaviour.

Operation Niagara has seen Community Responders from the council equipped with bodyworn cameras targeting hotspot areas in Hebburn, Jarrow and on the Metro network.

These have been supported with both plain clothed and uniformed police patrols.

In Hebburn town centre, this has resulted in a number of arrests - including of two male teenagers suspected to be the main offenders - in connection with a string of alleged offences including robbery, burglary and criminal damage.

Since these arrests, which have included strict bail conditions not to enter certain parts of the town, there has been an 70 per cent drop in reports of anti-social behaviour.

Nine Acceptable Behaviour Agreements have also been served to other youths in the group.

This has been followed up with visits to parents from the tenancy enforcement team and the youth justice team.

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Community Safety, said: "We've worked hard to tackle youth disorder in these areas and it's great to see those efforts paying off. However, it doesn't end there; the operation is ongoing, and we are holding regular meetings with local businesses to keep them updated.

"Residents consistently tell us that anti-social behaviour is one of their top concerns. In response, we invested in our new community responders and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with our partners to try to resolve issues and ensure that everyone feels safe in our communities."

Chief Inspector Phil Baker, of Northumbria Police, added: "We know this is a big area of concern for people in the community - nobody wants this type of anti-social behaviour on their doorstep.

"So it's brilliant to see these results as we continue to collaboratively work with our partners to crackdown on pockets of disorder.

"We'll continue to do everything we can to identify linked to reports - and that includes any nuisance riders, so we can seize their vehicles and put a stop to any related criminality."

The Council has also been working with partners to crack down on motorbike disorder, and a dedicated pilot taskforce for South Tyneside and Sunderland has already made its mark.

In the borough, 57 bikes have been seized, 25 arrests have been made, and 71 people have been stopped and searched since the Motorcycle Disruption Team was launched last November.

More than 400 pieces of intelligence have been received from members of the public.

Cllr Foreman said: "The message is clear: anti-social riders can expect to have their bikes seized and crushed.

"Information from local communities has been vital in the taskforce's work, and we'd ask for people to continue to help us by providing information in confidence about where bikes are stored and who is riding them."

Ch Insp Baker added: "As ever, we would continue to ask the public to be our eyes and ears and report any issues as soon as possible with as much detail as they can.

"That way, we can ensure South Tyneside, and the wider region, remains safe and hassle-free for everyone."

To provide information to the council, email Community.Safety@southtyneside.gov.uk

Members of the public can also share information on the Northumbria Police website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or where a crime is taking place, always dial 999.