Day of Action targets Oxford Road area

Published Friday, 25th October 2019

A multi-agency Day of Action is to be held in the Oxford Road area of Hartlepool to tackle a wide range of crime, anti-social behaviour and environmental issues.

The initiative – led by the Hartlepool Community Safety Team under the umbrella of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership – will take place on Tuesday (October 29th) from 1-4.30pm, covering an area between Oxford Road and Cornwall Street, which includes Jackson Street, Harrow Street, Eton Street, Richmond Street, Derby Street, Devon Street and Dorset Street.

It aims to build on a similar Day of Action staged in the area earlier this year which took in Marlborough Street, Charterhouse Street, Rugby Street, Uppingham Street and Rossall Street.

The initiative will again focus on issues related to drug dealing, higher than average levels of crime, anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, fly-tipping, dog fouling, absentee landlords, the poor appearance of residential properties and rear alleys and low community cohesion.

Councillor Shane Moore, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, said: “We want to send out a message of reassurance to law-abiding residents that we are committed to tackling criminal and anti-social behaviour to try to prevent the actions of a minority ruining their lives.

“The Hartlepool Community Safety Team which comprises staff from Hartlepool Borough Council, Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade, enables to us to deliver a co-ordinated multi-agency response to the issues affecting this area.

“We would also urge residents to support the initiative by talking to us about the problems affecting their neighbourhoods and passing on any information that helps us to deal with them.”

People will be able to talk to community safety officers in confidence at a drop-in session at the Orb Centre in Caledonian Road from 1-4.30pm. Police will also be at the drop in between 3.30pm and 4.30pm with an engraving machine to permanently mark residents’ bikes, scooters, skate boards, games consoles and other items.  Residents will also be to report issues confidentially by visiting a community safety trailer which will be parked at the top of Richmond Street/Cornwall Street, again from 1-4.30pm.

The Day of Action will begin at 8am with normal street cleansing work supplemented by additional cleansing, weeding and gutter clearing in streets and alleyways.

There will also be a one-off free household and bulky waste collection service limited to properties in the target area. All residents have to do is place their waste in the back alley behind their properties between 7.30am and 2.30pm. Any waste placed out for collection after 2.30pm will not be removed and could incur a fine.

Items eligible for collection include bagged household and garden waste, furniture (a maximum of three items per household), electrical items and children’s toys/play equipment.

Items that will not be removed include household and garden waste that has not been bagged, carpets/underlay, clinical/medical waste, rubble/concrete/asbestos, kitchen cupboards/worktops, baths/sinks/toilets and tyres.

From 1-4.30pm, there will be a multi-agency walkabout around the target area, high visibility patrols, door knocks and a leaflet drop. Enforcement action will be taken where deemed necessary.

The Hartlepool Community Safety Team can be contacted on (01429) 523100 or community.safety@hartlepool.gov.uk