Hull in print : Feature - Your Council working in partnership to make our city safer

It's a zero-tolerance approach to crime.
Police are knocking on the doors of known criminals and people responsible for antisocial behaviour, and warning them they're being watched.
It's part of a tactic known as Operation Argent, which is taking place across different areas of the city throughout this year and beyond.
Teams of uniformed officers will be on high-visibility patrol, targeting areas of up to 4,000 houses at a time in operations lasting several weeks.
"We're literally knocking on doors and saying to people that if they step out of line in the slightest possible way, then we'll deal with them with the full force of the law every time," says Sgt Mick Stevenson of Humberside Police.
"Our extra presence is also having a positive effect on people who are on the fringes of committing crime or antisocial behaviour, because it's preventing the opportunity."

Working together

Operation Argent has been running since October last year, with the intention of reducing antisocial behaviour as well as crimes such as burglary, criminal damage, vehicle crime and secondary arson such as wheelie bin fires.
And it's working.
Reports of these crimes, and antisocial behaviour, fell by 60 per cent in one area of north Hull during action taking place as part of Operation Argent.
But the results are not just down to police action.
The operation involves a wide range of partners working together, including magistrates' court enforcement officers and Hull City Council's antisocial behaviour (ASB) officers, youth workers and trading standards officers.
On Friday and Saturday nights, for example, youth workers will engage with young people hanging around the streets to encourage them into more positive activities such as attending youth and sports clubs
They also ask young people to fill out questionnaires about any alcohol or illegal drug intake, so help can be provided if needed.
During each operation magistrates' court enforcement officers will accompany police and bring into custody people with outstanding fines.
So far, more than £44,000 in unpaid fines has been recovered.

Tell us about crime

Operation Argent is also a chance for residents to speak up about specific problems in their communities.
And prior to cracking down in an area, the Operation Argent team will send a letter to every household urging residents to get in touch with information about crime or antisocial behaviour in their neighbourhood.
"Argent is an important ongoing scheme that will help raise public confidence," says Mark Charlton of Citysafe, Hull's crime and disorder reduction partnership.
"We know that antisocial behaviour and certain types of crimes are making life a misery for some residents, but by working together we can build safer communities.
"Partnership working means problems can be tackled from a variety of angles."

Facts and figures

Other results from Operation Argent so far include:

More than 200 visits made by police to offenders' addresses to warn them that their behaviour will not be tolerated and that positive action will be taken against them at every occasion
17 drugs warrants executed in conjunction with the Cop Shop, in which properties were searched for illegal drugs
157 people arrested
More than 300 fixed penalty tickets issued
More than 1200 people stopped in the street, spoken to and searched
Four stolen vehicles recovered, including one valued at over £20,000
A total of 112 visits to licensed premises by the council's trading standards team to ensure they are not selling alcohol to young people who are underage

info

Four areas in the Riverside and Park districts of the city have so far been targeted under Operation Argent, with further areas to be targeted up until the end of March 2010
If you have any information about suspected criminal activity or antisocial behaviour in your community, call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.


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