Walkabouts step up the battle on yobs
Hundreds of police patrols address spiralling number of ABH cases
HUNDREDS of police patrols have been carried out over the last three months – after officers vowed to reassure residents over spiralling cases of antisocial behaviour.
The Chronicle can reveal that 407 walkabouts have taken place at worst-hit spots and 72 calls were received about issues from residents.
CCTV has also been installed at Mapplewell Park due to its high rates of reports and police – alongside council enforcement officers – have vowed to continue their crackdown.
Figures obtained by the Chronicle show a total of 30,297 incidents were reported in the town last year.
Barnsley’s North East ward – which includes Brierley, Cudworth, Grimethorpe and Shafton – saw around a third of those incidents, with a total of 10,077 reports, but was closely followed by Darton East, which includes Mapplewell.
Cudworth, Darfield, Hoyland Milton and Rockingham are the areas that have seen the greatest reduction in reports, with Hoyland Milton seeing the biggest 67 per cent reduction over the past two months.
A report said: “Services in Barnsley recognise the priority of tackling antisocial behaviour in neighbourhoods.
“Its impact and damage it can do to people’s lives is without question. We have a strong track record of working effectively in partnership in tackling ASB and connecting with local communities to identify what is important to them.
“Barnsley has been able to make real and sustained differences to significant problems faced, such as in the town centre and some of our most affected neighbourhoods.
“Notwithstanding our comparatively strong position, there remain significant and emerging challenges.
“From off-road biking to larger, more mobile congregations of young people connected via social media, the dynamics of problems continue to evolve.
“It is recognised that services need to adapt in the same way in order to continue to be able to intervene early, where possible prevent escalation, and respond to the needs and pressures being felt by residents.
“What is without doubt is that services must maintain and develop focus on the needs of victims of ASB, making sure that victims’ needs are at the heart of decision-making and response. Councillors continue to have a crucial part to play in being the voice and advocates for their constituents when it comes to ASB.”
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings sympathised with residents and said Barnsleybased
officers are prioritising antisocial behaviour.
“We have seen increased concerns around certain types of antisocial behaviour in recent years,” he added.
“As a minimum more patrolling by police will be done in hotspots, especially in the evenings – I also want to see the police telling communities and victims of antisocial behaviour what they are doing to reassure them. That is why one of the three priorities locally is combating antisocial behaviour.
“Whenever I go to community meetings people invariably want to talk about it as much as, if not more than, crime.
“But antisocial behaviour is not a low-level crime, it devastates communities and has a profound impact on victims.
“I encourage people to report incidents to the antisocial behaviour team at the council, or to the police, if they feel they are in immediate danger.”
Migration Partnership Barnsley hosted an event to celebrate Black History Month this week. The event saw people contribute to a collaborative talk on their experiences of living in Barnsley and how things could change for the better in the future.
Shown are Jesse King, Florentine Bootha-King and Ruth Mariana.