Northumbria Police vows to tackle anti-social behaviour this Easter holidays

With the light nights getting longer and the Easter holiday period having begun, the Force said this time of year can often see an escalation in ASB.

Chief Superintendent Janice Hutton said: “ASB covers a wide range of issues and impacts people in different ways.

“We know that typically as the weather improves, we see more people out and about which coincides with us receiving more reports of such behaviour.

“We understand the effect such negative behaviour can have on our communities and we are committed to working with our partners to help prevent cases occurring and taking appropriate action when they do.”

As well as cracking down on incidents of ASB when they happen, Northumbria Police have also been proactive in putting in place a range of preventative measures.

One such initiative is the You Only Live Once (YOLO) project which provides young people with mentoring and a range of engagement activities.

Between April 2021 and February 2022 the scheme supported 163 young people and 78 families across the region and has “had great results reducing offending”.

In partnership with local councils and Nexus, Northumbria Police has also funded youth workers to be out and about on public transport to engage with young people around unacceptable behaviour.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Nobody wants trouble on their street, in the park or on the bus – it’s not acceptable - but as Police Commissioner, it’s so important to me that we do all we can to prevent ASB from happening in the first place.

"That’s why I have been supporting our police by funding as many positive opportunities and interventions as I can through my violence reduction unit and my Operation Payback scheme which reinvests money seized from criminals back into grass root causes.

“Kids who get into bother often say they’re bored. Well we need to keep them busy then – opportunities, places to go and things to do – things that don’t come with a hefty price tag.

"Holidays really are a time of hardship for so many mams and dads. Youth clubs and sports groups can help stop them being drawn into criminality and reduce the number of victims.”