Neighbourhood priorities

The following Neighbourhood priorities relate to your area:

1. June 2013: House burglaries across Washington

“What you told us”

There has been an increase in the number of house burglaries across Washington. March alone saw 15 offences committed.

“What are we doing about it ?”

This is an ongoing neighbourhood priority. Operation Craft has been designed and implemented in late March to target an identified overnight crime problem and to target known offenders and hot spot areas.
Extra officers are being deployed in plain clothes to be more intrusive against those who operate and walk the streets in the early hours of the morning.

“Keeping you informed”

We will maintain a long term commitment to this operation to deter and prevent offending. As a result, some repeat offenders have been arrested in May and charged with burglary and remanded in custody awaiting trial.
There had been a substantial increase in the number of offences committed in February and March. This was reduced significantly in April and May to a point where Washington has reduced the number of these offences by 50% compared to last year.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team are varying their shifts to provide extra resources on overnight periods throughout June to allow them to be more robust in targeting a wider area and more offenders.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team will keep the community updated through Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings. For more information on the meetings contact the team on 101 ext 69191. We would urge the public to secure their bikes both at and away from their houses.

2. June 2013: Shed and garage burglaries in Washington.

“What you told us”

The increase in the number of overnight shed burglaries across the area is continuing.

“What are we doing about it ?”

The Neighbourhood Policing Team has been tasked to patrol crime hot spot areas and to highlight the crime issue to the local community. We have held a number of events to issue crime prevention advice and given out some more shed alarms to reinforce the importance to the public to look after and secure their own property.
Over 250 shed alarms have been given out in the last three months under Operation Lantern. Operation Impose, implemented last year, continues to be successful targeting known burglary offenders and will be maintained and work alongside the newly implemented Operation Craft to target the overall issue of overnight burglary in Washington.
Our Roads Policing Unit has mounted a number of operations in February and March targeting scrap metal vans driving around our residential areas. Washington Neighbourhood Team conducted Operation Decrease with multi agency partners targeting scrap operators in May to reinforce this focus.
Operation Breeze has also been set up for increased targeting of operating scrap merchants. All sightings of operating scrap vans should be reported to police to allow us to conduct immediate checks and on site investigations.

“Keeping you informed”

Operation Impose continues to produce excellent reduction results especially in the Sulgrave areas. Overall the number of non-home burglaries has been reduced by 30% since December. Operation Impose continues to target our known local criminals to support this reduction. Operation Craft will replicate these same tactics during overnight periods.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team will keep the community updated through Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings. For more information on the meetings contact the team on 101 ext 69191. A press release will be circulated in the coming week to advertise the crime prevention events and messages.

3. June 2013: Increase in alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in and around Washington pubs.

“What you told us”

Reports of alcohol related anti-social behaviour and disorder has increased in the immediate areas of local pubs in Lambton, Concord and Barmston.
Overall anti-social behaviour continues to fall but due to the bank holiday period and increased numbers engaging in social drinking these incidents have increased over the last month.

“What are we doing about it ?”

Extra patrols have been implemented in the three key areas.
The problem has also been raised with policing partners and camera footage is being reviewed to assist in identifying the offenders. A number of arrests have been made using information we already hold and further arrests are planned this month to assist in tackling the problems.
A number of pub walkthroughs have been conducted which have led to arrests and the recovery of drugs. These will continue over the next few weeks.
Operation Dove has been set up to combat the problem and is already proving to be successful. This operation increases foot patrols and visibility in the areas of social night spots in Concord and Ayton.
The profile of the Washington Pubwatch scheme is to be raised with a fresh media launch to deter would be offenders

“Keeping you informed”

An operation in May targeting the Highwayman pub in Lambton in relation to drug dealing lead to a number of arrests for drugs offences and the temporary closure of the premises to install new management.
These actions have just been introduced despite overall anti-social behaviour continuing to fall significantly across Washington compared to the previous year's figures.
Non-youth related anti-social behaviour totals show a 26% reduction on last year which equates to over 100 less reports.
We will continue to tackle this issue with our partners using a multi agency approach.
Where necessary, we will engage with the licensed premises involved and issue warning notices in conjunction with licence conditions to deter offending and anti-social behaviour.

Northumbria Police