PCC - Gateshead safer neighbourhoods


This example demonstrates how councils and partners working together contributes towards delivering the safer Gateshead priority of protecting and supporting vulnerable victims and communities. 

High levels of youth-related anti-social behaviour coupled with allegations of drug-dealing were being reported on a housing estate. The problem related to disorder occurring on and around a footpath running alongside a golf course. Residents had contacted local councillors to raise concerns and requested the closure of the footpath.

A number of immediate actions were agreed and implemented by the multi-agency Safer Neighbourhoods Group including collation of partner intelligence around problematic individuals as well as deployment of additional police patrols. The behaviour of one particular individual was sufficiently serious as to result in a successful Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) application.

For a number of other perpetrators, appropriate legal action was taken against the tenancies of their respective parents or guardians.

A joint meeting took place involving councillors, police and the council to decide an appropriate course of action. The Rights of Way team agreed to undertake activities in relation to the closure of the perimeter path which included making a court application to fence off a section of the perimeter path. The application was heard in Magistrates Court and was successful.

As a result of the interventions as described above and the intensive and sustained amount of partnership intervention that has taken place within the locality:

  • the number crimes reported within that particular area reduced by 31 from 111 to 80 – equating to 36 per cent reduction compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
  • incidents of anti-social behaviour reported to Northumbria Police taking place on and around the footpath reduced by 87 incidents (from 242 incidents in 2010/11 to 155 incidents that occurred in 2011/12)
  •  the number of deliberate anti-social behaviour fires set on and around the footpath reduced by five; while reports of criminal damage reduced by 19 (from 34 to 15).

In future, the Police and Crime Commissioner may be contacted by local residents who have been experiencing problems of anti-social behaviour. This information could be fed directly into the Safer Neighbourhood Groups to ensure that local issues can be tackled effective and in a co-ordinated way.

The Police and Crime Commissioner will play a crucial role in helping to relay community safety messages to local residents, provide them with reassurance that the problems they have reported and are being tackled, thus helping to address the fear of crime, and provide confidence in public agencies to tackle the problems which are reported.