Police looking “very intensely” into anti-social behaviour in Ortons in coming weeks, officer says

The Ortons have been “terrorised” by anti-social behaviour for more than three years and residents have “no faith in police whatsoever” to solve the problem, a local councillor has said.

Cllr Kirsty Knight (Green Party), who represents Orton Waterville, says that people in her ward are “getting fed up of contacting the police” over crimes such as graffiti and motorbikes being ridden through playing fields.

She raised the issue to chief inspector Oliver Warsop at a Peterborough City Council (PCC) meeting last week, telling him that she “cannot see anything being done” about the “same people” causing issues in the cluster of residential neighbourhoods to the south-west of the city.

Inspector Warsop, who is the head of neighbourhood policing for Peterborough, said that police will be looking “very intensely” at issues in the Ortons over the next couple of weeks and that the force is seeking to undertake “disruptive, preventative work” against youth crime.

This includes speaking to parents and social workers, he said, as well as sending officers into schools and introducing extra patrols at peak times for anti-social behaviour such as at the end of term and Halloween.

But speaking after the meeting, Cllr Knight said that interventions such as speaking to parents and holding training workshops are “not going to work”.

“Something needs to be done,” she said. “They need to take direct action.”

Residents 'not calling police'

Cllr Knight continued: “The residents are now not calling the police because it’s not worth it anymore. It’s not worth the energy. The residents here have no faith in the police whatsoever.”

Inspector Warsop responded that the local policing team “regularly carry out home visits to young people who have been identified as involved with anti-social behaviour” and alert relevant authorities where appropriate.

He added that, as well as arrests, intervention can include implementing criminal behaviour orders and anti-social behaviour injunctions, “both of which we have served on people in the area during the time being referred to”.

Inspector Warsop also said that he would “strongly encourage” people to report anti-social behaviour to police as it makes the force “better equipped to respond to those concerns constructively”.

101 online 'doesn't work anymore'

Cllr Knight also claimed that reporting anti-social behaviour to police can be difficult because “the 101 online doesn’t work any more”.

“You used to get an email of the conversation online back to you; that has stopped,” she said. “On a Friday and Saturday night the online 101 is basically switched off and then you’re on hold if you ring them.”

She continued that, while talking to a group of community support officers a few weeks ago, she knew they could “see and hear” motorbikes being driven up and down playing fields while children were trying to play football but “they weren’t doing anything”.

Inspector Warsop said that webchats “may be temporarily switched off” when demand is extremely high.

“The force has a number of ways in which the public can contact us – 101 being our non-emergency telephone number, and our online reporting forms or webchat are also available 24/7,” he said. “Webchat on a rare occasion may be temporarily switched off where demand to our telephone lines are exceedingly high.”

On dangerous motorbike riding, he said neighbourhood police are “aware of concerns” and working with the Rural Crime Action Team who have access to motorbikes and off road bikes and can “respond to the issue in the most appropriate way”.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a 'priority'

Inspector Warsop said that tackling anti-social behaviour is a “priority” for local police alongside drug dealing and associated violence.

“As part of this there will be times where we prioritise some parts of this work over others, often where we identify serious risk or potential harm to people,” he said,

“The local team are in touch with Cllr Knight and have spoken in detail about some of her concerns to obtain specific information so we can review and take action where appropriate.”