There is no ‘quick fix’ to problems

Many of you will have heard stories of anti-social behaviour in Peterborough recently, whether it’s weapons being found or cars being used at anti-social hours.

Peterborough is not unique in this situation, with every area of the country experiencing anti-social behaviour. But, that is not a reason to turn a blind eye and the police and the council recognise it’s a problem.

There is no quick fix, but I’d like the opportunity to be able to let you know what we’re doing to tackle it, and crucially how best to report problems.

Here in Peterborough the police, council and fire service work in a shared service to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour. This is the SaferPeterborough Prevention and Enforcement Service (PES). Being located together, we can share information and resources to deal with problems in your area. Although not always considered as serious as some crimes, the PES understands that these are real issues affecting real people, sometimes on their doorsteps.

A few weeks ago we learned that two knives had been found at a skatepark in Stanground which is understandably very worrying. Working together, police and council staff organised a day of action in Stanground last Thursday (August 24) to look at the issues, speak to residents and young people and decide on a way forward.

This day of action started with PES officers and local councillors going on a walkabout of the area to discuss the problems and look at ways to prevent them from happening again. It continued into the evening with police community support officers (PCSOs) taking time to engage with young people in particular; building trust, respect and understanding. With it being the school summer holidays we spoke to quite a few young people and parents which was really helpful.

Building on the good work which took place during the day of action, youth workers will now be focusing their efforts on the area once again in coming weeks, talking with young people and developing additional activities for them to take part in.

We also heard from lots of people who are unsure where and how to report incidents. Therefore we will be continuing to spread the message that people can report any issues around antisocial behaviour to police on 101, or to the Prevention and Enforcement Service through the My Peterborough app.

The app is definitely worth using as, if police resources mean they cannot respond immediately, the intelligence isn’t lost for future evidence and a follow up call can be made sooner if needed.

Anti-social behaviour affects all our lives at some point, but for some residents it’s a too often occurrence. We want to help those people, so if you experience problems where you live please tell us.

I’d also like to make a plea to parents, not just in Stanground, but city-wide. Do you know where your children are during the school holidays and in the evenings? Don’t get me wrong, you cannot know where they are at every minute of every day, but make a point of knowing what they are doing in the evenings and with whom. It might just stop them getting themselves into trouble and perhaps inadvertently causing distress to other people in their community.

The new school year begins next week so I would like to remind parents to park safely around the school gates.

Dangerous parking outside schools is a real problem in Peterborough so I urge parents and drivers to think about the potentially disastrous consequences that this may cause to children’s lives.