Preston Police and partners tackle anti-social behaviour

Last weekend, as part of Operation Centurion, Preston Police teamed up with partner agencies to continue to safeguard vulnerable young people and challenge anti-social behaviour.

Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing team joined forces with colleagues from British Transport Police, as well as partners from Health, Social Care, Lancashire Trading Standards, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, the Exploitation Team, and the Champions Team from PNE for a targeted operation tackling anti-social behaviour and child exploitation, and to safeguard young people who could be at risk of becoming involved in crime.

During Friday evening (13th October, 2023), officers, along with representatives from partner agencies, worked together to patrol ASB hotspots, identifying young people who could be at risk of becoming involved in crime and ASB with the aim of steering them away through targeted operations and diversionary activities.

Activity included:

·       Engaging with over 100 young people at various locations including Ingol, Ashton, Ribbleton, Fishwick and the City Centre, providing education on a range of different topics such as drug and alcohol misuse and information on diversionary activities.

·       Visiting 10 hotels across Preston to provide information to staff to enable them to identify the signs of criminal and sexual child exploitation and have the confidence to report it.

·       Visits by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to over 20 empty/vulnerable buildings across the city to ensure they were secure.

·       Tobacco test purchasing at three premises which included two fails for e-cigarette sale to a child.

Sergeant Roz Walsh, from Preston Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: ‘We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and part of that is the work we continue to carry out, alongside partners, to engage with, and educate young people to prevent them from becoming involved in criminality.”

This operation demonstrates the strong working relationships that we have with our partners and the commitment we all have to working together to tackle this sort of activity, safeguard some of our most vulnerable young people and where appropriate, take positive action against those who exploit them.”

Champions Co-ordinator, Ria Barker, said: “Preston North End Community and Education Trust delivers the Champions Programme to support young people from 10 years old up to the age of 25 who are engaged in, or are at risk of engaging in, offending or anti-social behaviour.  Being involved in this operation has presented an opportunity for us to see the young people we engage with from a different perspective, allowing us to gain a deeper insight into the behaviours and needs of the young people in Preston, and therefore enabling us to provide more in-depth support going forward.”

Op Centurion is a county-wide crackdown on anti-social behaviour, led by Lancashire Constabulary and backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden, delivering his Fighting Crime Plan priority of getting tough on anti-social behaviour, with the support of our partners.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said: "Anti-social behaviour is a blight on our communities and an issue that residents repeatedly raise with me, which is why I have made it a priority in my Fighting Crime Plan for Lancashire.

"Op Centurion is stepping up our fight against ASB in our communities. The Constabulary's dedicated ASB, Prevention and Problem-Solving Command is now operational and working with our partners to find long terms solutions to address the underlying issues that cause ASB.

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