Operation neutron tackles crime in hotspots

Police in Rochdale are cracking down on crime and disorderly behaviour in hot spot areas.

Operation Neutron has been launched by the Pennine Neighbourhood Policing Team to reduce youth nuisance, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour in the Bellfield area. Since Novemeber there have been 63 instances of anti-social behaviour and damage in the Pennine area.

Sergeant Joanne Reid, of Pennine Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “There have been a number of incidents reported to the team and they are having a negative impact on the community.

“Officers have received reports of a number of youths gathering to drink alcohol and cause nuisance outside the shopping precinct at Albert Royds Street before making their way through residential areas where they have caused further problems including, throwing items at houses and passing motorists and setting wheelie bins on fire.

“A number of residents have expressed real concerns over anti-social behaviour and we are hoping with the help of the order we can resolve some of the problems.”

The operation, which sees police working with Rochdale Borough Housing and Youth Services, gives officers the chance to increase public confidence and provide residents with reassurance through patrols and high visibility in hot spot areas.

Additional resources such as extra patrols and headcams will be used by PCSOs during the operation. These will be used to gather evidence and information, in an effort to detect and reduce crime.

Sergeant Reid said: “The headcams work as a deterrent to any individuals causing a nuisance in the area. They also protect the safety of the PCSOs while on duty.”

Police are also working with the Licensing department to make sure stores selling alcohol adhere to their licences. DVLA who are also working with police have successfully removed unlicenced vehicles across the area.

A mobile police van will be located at hot spot locations throughout the area to give residents a feeling of reassurance and the chance to chat with officers about home security and problems or issues they are faced with.

PCSOs will patrol the estate and engage with residents and where necessary encourage them to report any incidents causing them concerns. They will also drop letters with their contact details into resident’s letterboxes.

During the evening officers will undertake high visibility patrols and use early-intervention tactics to reduce disorder including stop checks and issuing fixed penalty notices for disorderly behaviour as well as arresting offenders.

As part of the operation the police have been working with the council to have a camera installed on Albert Royds Street. It is hoped that installation of the camera will have a dual effect, hopefully to reduce anti-social behaviour, or to identify those causing annoyance in the area.

Sergeant Reid said: said: “As part of the operation more patrols will be out on the streets reassuring the public and preventing crime. Our officers won’t accept any unacceptable behaviour and will take the appropriate action required to make the Pennine’s a safe place for everyone.”