Operation Staysafe hailed a success

Published Thursday, 9th May 2019

An operation has been carried out in Hartlepool to crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour by young people – and also to protect them where their actions threaten to put them at significant risk of harm.

Operation Staysafe was organised and co-ordinated by the multi-agency Hartlepool Community Safety Team and has been hailed a big success.

Youth workers from the Youth Outreach Team at the Bob Farrow Centre at Belle Vue joined forces with anti-social behaviour officers from Hartlepool Borough Council and police to carry out evening vehicle and foot patrols at a number of known trouble “hot spots”.

Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership and Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “The initiative followed on from the message issued recently to parents by the Hartlepool Community Safety Team asking them if they knew where their children were. It also took place after a recent increase in reports of young people engaging in verbal abuse, stone throwing, fire setting and criminal damage.

“Any child found at risk of significant harm could have been taken by the police to a designated place of safety. Positively, no child or young person needed to be dealt with in this way.

“Staff were also able to engage with large number of young people behaving appropriately, and only a small number were spoken to due to their involvement in low-level anti-social behaviour.”

In total, 15 known “hot spots” received visits from three Operation Staysafe teams and one new location was identified for future attention. One dangerous and insecure derelict building was identified and made secure.

Information was also obtained that identified the alleged perpetrator of a hate incident involving a vulnerable person. This information has been passed to the police.

Anyone wishing to report anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood can contact the Hartlepool Community Safety Team on (01429) 523100 or community.safety@hartlepool.gov.uk  Alternatively, they can call Cleveland Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The team can also be contacted to access a Victims Service which offers victim support along with practical advice and assistance on crime prevention.