Partnership effort to tackle priorities in Hanley sees positive results

The results from our day of action with partners in Hanley earlier this week are in.

Working with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, colleagues from the rough sleeper and fly-tipping teams, along with the Business Improvement District (BID), community and parking wardens, we:

• Arrested two wanted men
• Located a high-risk missing child
• Recorded a number of anti-social behaviour reports
• Visited fly-tipping hot spots and cleaned up
• Identified 19 rough sleepers and engaged six of them, signing them up for further support.

We also detained two men for shoplifting in the Sales Lab store and two women in Primark, who were stopped with around £70-worth of stock and issued 41 penalty charge notices for parking breaches.

Stoke-on-Trent Superintendent Dave Wain, said: “This was a highly effective day of action that not only enabled numerous members of the public to approach us at the mobile police station to raise concerns, but also meant we were able to work with partners on the ground to support them in their proactive work.

“Officers were able to search the Potteries Centre and the bus station for a missing 12-year-old girl, who we later found in Tesco, safe and well.

“We visited Trumpet Passage and cleared up rubbish and waste with the fly-tipping team and identified other areas for work to be carried out, including locations off Gitana Street, Brunswick Street and Market Passage.

“The details of 19 rough sleepers were passed on to us and six others were offered support, with nine others being offered support for addiction.

“We also patrolled with partners to speak to local businesses to discuss any issues with them.

“Overall, it was a really positive day and I look forward to carrying out similar activity in the near future.”

The day was held as part of the city council’s Making Great Places initiative, and was aimed as conducting coordinated joint working in and around the city centre on ongoing issues relating to ASB, crime and community safety concerns.

Councillor Alastair Watson, cabinet member for Financial Sustainability and Corporate Resources advised: “We know focussed partnership action has a real impact in hotspot areas for anti-social behaviour.

“We want members of the public to report issues of concern, we can then ensure we have the appropriate agencies primed, and ready to tackle those issues.

“The overall involvement from multiple agencies has been superb, and continues to highlight the positive impact collaborative working can have on the community.”

To find out more about the Making Great Places initiative, visit: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/makinggreatplaces.