"People are feeling safer": Hotspot policing reduces anti-social behaviour across North Yorkshire
New figures show that anti-social behaviour (ASB) in some of North Yorkshire’s hotspots reduced by up to 76% last year.
This was a result of Project Deployment, a £1m Home Office funded ‘Hotspot Response’ policing initiative, that aims to increase trust and confidence in policing, deter offending, and make people feel safer in the communities they live in.
This additional funding has enabled North Yorkshire Police (NYP) to boost the number of police officers on the streets, with high-visibility police patrols targeting hotspots at key times.
Figures from between April 2023 and March 2024 reveal that this proactive approach is delivering positive results:
- 45 ASB hotspots were identified across North Yorkshire
- There was a 13.17 % overall ASB reduction across the ASB hotspots
- There were 6628 additional hours of high visibility police patrols
- With a total of 14337 extra patrols
Some of the hotspot areas with the most significant reductions in reported incidents during this period were:
- Scarborough: Trafalgar Square area – 60.66% reduction
- Malton: Sycamore Avenue, Malton – 59.26% reduction
- Harrogate, Skipton Road - 50% reduction
The hotspot policing initiative aims to act as a deterrent to potential offenders, and make people feel safer in the communities in which they live, work and visit.
The good news is that the scheme will be continued this year, and further information on this will be released from the Home Office shortly.
Superintendent Victoria Taylor, Head of Local Policing Support at North Yorkshire Police, said: “Hotspot policing has not only delivered impressive reductions in crime but has also led to tangible results in protecting vulnerable residents. “The feedback from communities across the North Yorkshire Police force region shows that our hard work is being noticed, and that people are feeling safer.”
“Antisocial behaviour takes many forms, from aggressive, noisy or abusive behaviour to neighbourhood disturbances involving drugs, abandoned cars or animals.
“If you’ve witnessed antisocial behaviour, please report to North Yorkshire Police by visiting Report antisocial behaviour | North Yorkshire Police, calling 101 or speaking to an officer.”