A TOWN centre in west Cumbria has seen the biggest reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour since the launch of a countywide high-visibility policing initiative.
Workington town centre has seen reductions in anti-social behaviour of 49 per cent, a 12 per cent drop in retail crime and a six per cent reduction in serious crime since police upped patrols.
Police have been carrying out the increased high-visibility patrols in Workington, along with five other anti-social behaviour hotspots countywide, under a third year of Operation Enhance.
Op Enhance ran for an initial two years on a £1million allocation from the Home Office but due to the removal of that funding, a third year of the scheme is being paid for by the Cumbria Police coffers and Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen.
Speaking to Newsquest Cumbria in Workington town centre on Monday, Chief Constable Darren Martland said that the area has seen the biggest gains out of the six anti-social behaviour hotspots in year three.
He said: "The town centre here is one of the six Enhance areas and in Workington we've seen a 49 per cent reduction in anti-social behaviour, about a 12 per cent reduction in retail crime and a six per cent reduction in serious crime - so serious assaults.
"I think the biggest reduction we've seen so far is in the town centre and that is really simple... working with the shopkeepers, working with the businesses, with the communities, sending out a clear message to the small minority who want to disrupt and commit crime that it's not acceptable and we will take action."
As well as catching and deterring crime, the chief constable said that Op Enhance patrols are about reassuring the public as anti-social behaviour is an issue that people "see and feel every day and affects their daily living and if they're raising it as an issue, it's really important that we work with them to deal with it and deal with it properly."
Chief Constable Martland said: "We want to see the area thrive. We want people to come in and enjoy the night time economy, shopping and that contribution to, not just crime reduction, but that neighbourhood feel-good approach."
He emphasised the value of prevention and early intervention over enforcement.
"I'm a great believer in, rather than just enforce your way out of a problem using police tactics, arrests et cetera, let's start at grassroots. Let's try and prevent it. So working with PCSOs, working with schools, prevention, diversion and hopefully it only gets us to having to use police tactics, arrests, dispersal orders when we absolutely need to."
The chief constable visited Workington town centre to discuss the benefits of Op Enhance and announce an uplift to the force of 26 officers countywide.
Cumbria Police will see 16 police officers removed from back office functions and deployed to frontline policing and an additional 10 as part of the Government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
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