Hull in print


Police raid a crack house in Hull.	The council's antisocial behaviour team took photos inside the property to prove that drug dealing was taking place in order to secure an eviction

In a quiet Hull street a 'crack house' was blighting the lives of residents.
People were coming and going from the property at all hours of the day and night to buy drugs.
Some were leaving the house intoxicated and others were 'shooting up' drugs in the street outside and leaving used syringes on the pavement.
But following tip-offs from the community, Hull City Council's antisocial behaviour team arranged for CCTV cameras to focus on the property.
When sufficient evidence was gathered, the police raided the premises and the council's team took photos to prove that class A drugs were being dealt at the property. Prosecution and eviction followed.

Action weeks

It's this type of partnership work which has helped to contribute to a 24 per cent decrease in the overall crime level in Hull since 2004.
Vehicle theft is down by 52 per cent, house burglaries are down by 41 per cent and thefts from vehicles have fallen by 31 per cent.
The reductions have been achieved in part by partners, including the council, the police, fire service, community wardens, as well as community and voluntary organisations across the city, sharing information and supporting each other.
In areas with persistently high crime rates, for example, these partners, collectively known as Hull Citysafe, are running 'Action Weeks' which look at ways to improve residents' quality of life.
Activity during the weeks includes high-visibility police patrols, truancy sweeps, home-fire safety checks and general clean-up work including removing graffiti and fly-tipping.
The team also offers antisocial behaviour surgeries and cold calling on residents to offer SmartWater, a chemical applied to valuables which can help trace them if stolen.

The next Hull Citysafe Action Weeks are at:
The Quadrant, north Hull, between August 13 and 17;
Riverside area, between September 3 and 7;
Preston Road South between October 22 and 26.

Asking your views

Tracy Harsley

Not only do the agencies work together, they also consult the public by holding 'Face the People' sessions in all electoral wards across the city.
The sessions are a chance for members of the public to express their thoughts about community safety to representatives from key agencies.
The information collected at the sessions is passed to common tasking groups, which look at ways of solving problems and report back to residents on actions taken.
"It's a new way of working," says Citysafe manager Tracy Harsley.
"If there are issues making local people feel vulnerable where they live, the meetings are a great opportunity to talk about them.
Issues could be anything from drug dealing, to graffiti, to waste fires and vandalism."

Contact your area committee for information about dates, times and venues of Face the Public meetings, which are held in each ward of the city every three months. Area committee details are listed on pages 40-42.

Other action

Partners against crime: representatives from Hull City Council, the police and fire service have helped set up the 'Face the People' sessions

Campaigns to highlight domestic violence and alcohol abuse, and the targeting of prolific offenders are other means by which the crime rate is being reduced.
Hull has also earned status as one of 40 flagship 'Respect Areas' across Britain which has enabled the city to receive an extra £202,000 to help fight antisocial behaviour as part of the Government's 'Respect' programme.

For more information contact 300300 or visit www.hullcc.gov.uk or www.respect.gov.uk

Taking action

Between December 06 and June 07, Hull City Council's antisocial behaviour team took out the following enforcement action:

59 acceptable behaviour contracts were issued. These are agreements, usually for under-18s, which are drawn-up with parental consent, to improve a young person's behaviour, for example by encouraging them not to throw stones or be abusive.

6 secure tenancies were reduced to demoted tenancies. This means council tenants lose their right to buy or exchange their properties as a result of antisocial behaviour.

2 demoted tenancies were enforced which lead to eviction proceedings.

1 introductory tenancy was extended for a further 6 months. In this case a council tenant's 12-month probationary period was increased, after reports of antisocial behaviour.

12 notices were served to seek possession of the home of council tenants.

10 evictions took place (some of these relate to private rented accommodation).

3 crack houses were closed.

2 fixed penalty notices were issued for littering.

6 civil antisocial behaviour orders were issued.

2 Section 30 dispersal orders were put in place. These orders enable the police to disperse groups of two or more persons and to return young people under 16 to their homes from public places if they are unsupervised and behaving in an antisocial manner after 9pm. If they return to the same place within 24 hours they can be arrested.


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