Sara Britcliffe, Member of Parliament for Hyndburn and Haslingden, joined Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner, alongside local officers, in patrolling areas benefiting from Operation Centurion, a new scheme with increased policing to tackle anti-social behaviour thanks to a £2million government investment.
Sara Britcliffe MP accompanied Andrew Snowden and officers on the patrol, seeing how £2m of investment, secured from Government, is already having a positive impact on ASB hotspot areas, with a strengthened policing presence that directly addresses local concerns.
During the walkabout, Ms Britcliffe spoke with members of the community about what issues they've experienced due to anti-social behaviour, such as drug dealing and use, criminal damage, and harassment amongst others, whilst the commissioner and officers also had conversations with some people warning them about anti-social driving
Accrington Town Centre and adjacent areas have seen the policing response stepped up since the start of July, with a number of extra officers out and about tackling crime, gathering intelligence and reassuring the public.
The recently launched Op Centurion will see extra police patrols in ASB hotspots across the county and tough action being taken against offenders by Police and partner agencies who will use the full force of the law – as well as civil powers – to protect local communities.
Since Ms Britcliffe was elected in 2019 she has been working closely with local police and the Police and Crime Commissioner. As a result the area has seen robbery offences fall by 16%, theft by 24%, and burglary by 37%. This comes following the news earlier this year that the Government has successfully recruited 20,000 new police officers, with 612 new officers in Lancashire alone.
Sara Britcliffe MP said:
I was delighted to welcome our Police & Crime Commissioner to Hyndburn and see how Op Centurion is being rolled out in our area.
Anti-social behaviour is a subject I am asked about a lot, so the fact we have been provided with £2million extra investment from the Government and are already seeing action being taken is really positive.
Working together we will bring down crime and clamp down on those perpetrators who try and enact misery on others.
Andrew Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire said:
It's great to join Sara and the local policing team in Accrington to see how Operation Centurion is being rolled out on the streets of Hyndburn.
Getting tough on anti-social behaviour is a top priority in my Fighting Crime Plan what is clear from the patrol today is that by bolstering the police response to it, we're already seeing this deliver results that keep Lancashire safe. It's exactly what the public tell me they want to see, more enforcement, a wider use of civil enforcement, leading to us putting a stop to damaging behaviour that ruins lives.
I will continue to work closely with partners and elected representatives, such as MPs, to deliver what we all want to see. More visible police patrols and less ASB on our streets.
