A CLAMPDOWN on antisocial behaviour will sweep rural areas around Huddersfield next week.
Police and Kirklees Council officials will launch the week-long crackdown, codenamed Operation Focus, across the Colne and Holme Valleys and the Denby Dale district.
The multi-agency task force will tackle quality of life issues for local residents such as fly-tipping, noise, nuisance neighbours, dodgy drivers and antisocial behaviour hot spots.
The plan has already been successfully implemented in other areas of Kirklees over the past three years and has led to dozens of fines being issued and vehicles being seized.
Sergeant Mel Harding of the Valleys Neighbourhood Policing Team said the clampdown, which begins on Monday , was a result of the many local meetings with residents.
She said: “During the local PACT or ‘Partners and Communities Together’ meetings we get to hear what issues are affecting local residents and what their concerns are. We then set our local policing priorities around these.
“Operation Focus is a great opportunity to address those priorities at a partnership level. By working together in this way, we can make a significant impact to problems such as antisocial behaviour.
“In this latest Operation Focus we will be following up outstanding warrants and undertaking high visibility patrols in antisocial behaviour hot spots.”
Inspector Nick Harvey of the Kirkburton and Denby Dale Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “As this is a week-long operation we will be able to cover a wider area. My team will be concentrating their efforts on antisocial behaviour in the Grange Moor area.
“Working closely with Young People’s Services we will also be looking to divert young people into positive activities, such as organised football in Cowlersley.
“We are also working with the DVLA in the Grange Moor and Denby Dale areas to clamp down on vehicle related crime and in Emley we will be speaking with local pubs and clubs about licensing issues.”
Clr Mary Harkin, Kirklees Council cabinet member for environment services, said the blitz would also focus on environmental eyesores.
She said: “Environmental Services will be taking the lead during this operation. We will be providing an additional collection of household waste in Golcar to help residents get rid of any garden waste or bulky items.
“We will also be providing litter patrols in village centres across the Kirklees area and will patrol targeted fly-tipping hot spots where we are aware of frequent incidents of tyre dumping in particular.
“And we will be working with our partner organisations such as KNH (Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing) and the police to tackle domestic noise problems.
“This approach will hopefully help people affected by this type of antisocial behaviour who feel vulnerable or intimidated and afraid of the repercussions if they make a formal complaint against a noisy neighbour.
“Working with licensing and the police we will be paying late night visits to licensed premises to reinforce the smoke free law and tackle any noise nuisance and other antisocial behaviour that can result in stress and anxiety and other problems for residents living nearby.
“We hope to have a strong visual presence and will work hard to resolve any issues amicably. However; where this approach fails to deliver results, we will prosecute where necessary.”
