Area Committee Neighbourhood Policing Team update – Hambleton and Richmondshire
Area Commanders update - Superintendent Teresa Lam
North Yorkshire Police is committed to providing an outstanding service to the public of York and North Yorkshire, to keep them safe and feeling safe. As part of that commitment, we will continue to have a strong presence in neighbourhoods and communities; this helps us to understand and be responsive to community needs and to build public trust and confidence.
As the Superintendent for the Hambleton and Richmondshire area I am very much committed to this. Working alongside me as a Senior Leadership Team, are three Chief Inspectors: Chief Inspectors Jo Crooks-Rea (responsible for the Response Teams), Simon Williamson (responsible for the Neighbourhood Policing Team) and Matt Wilkinson (Responsible for Crime). I hope that in due course and during future meetings that you will have the opportunity to meet them all.
At present our Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT) are made up of both PCSOs and police officers. They are led by Sergeants and 1 Inspector. They are very much focused on crime prevention activities.
Over the past 9 months, the force has been undertaking a review of its neighbourhood policing operations to better identify the demands on the team across the county. The aim was to determine the optimum number of officers and PCSO’s needed, within our budget requirements, to provide an outstanding service.
You will have seen the recent confirmation from Mayor Skaith that a £2 million Government investment into neighbourhood policing has brought an additional 32 Police Constables and 20 PCSO’s to North Yorkshire. Over the coming months you may see additional resources or a strengthening to our structures and processes. This will not affect our ability to remain visible, accessible and respond effectively to deal with issues as we already do.
The Richmondshire Neighbourhood team is led by Inspector Ciaran Conlon, Sergeant Heather Campbell and Sergeant Carl Lawson.
The Hambleton Neighbourhood team is led by Inspector Lauren Wilkinson, Sergeant Chris Hughes, Sergeant Lucy Bramham and Sergeant Chris Ross.
Hambleton and Richmondshire
NPT UPDATE:
Staffing changes
ASB and NTE – Last 90 Days
Northallerton - ASB
This consists of 61 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 12
ASB Nuisance 45
ASB Environmental 4
Note: The NPT are currently working closely with licensing in relation to NTE ASB. Visits to public houses are conducted regularly in order to ensure the establishment licensees are complying with their licensing objectives to prevent crime and disorder.
A Community Protection Warning has recently been given to two homeless people living on the High Street in Northallerton. The couple have caused a large amount of ASB in the community and work continues in partnership with the Community Safety Hub to combat this.
Thirsk -ASB
This consists of 30 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 12
ASB Nuisance 17
ASB Environmental 1
Thirsk market place has seen an increase in ASB linked to the night time economy. The NPT attend the monthly pub watch meetings alongside licensing and have increased patrols on an evening in the area.
Stokesley - ASB
This consists of 23 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 3
ASB Nuisance 19
ASB Environmental 1
A recent increase in ASB in the Levens/Levenside area of Stokesley has been causing demand to services. This anti social behaviour has involved youths with catapults causing damage to windows, vehicles and shops. The area has been referred into the Community Safety Hub to look at ways to target harden, and youths identified are dealt with for any criminal offences, and/or referred to the Community Safety Hub for multi agency intervention.
Bedale -ASB
This consists of 17 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 8
ASB Nuisance 8
ASB Environmental 1
An ASB hotspot area has been Bedale Park and the town centre. Patrols of the area have increased, with youths identified referred to the Community Safety Hub for multi agency interventions.
Easingwold – ASB
This consists of 26 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal12
ASB Nuisance 10
ASB Environmental 4
ASB has been reported in Memorial and Millfield Park. Increased high visibility patrols have been taking place, with any youths identified referred through to the Community Safety Hub for multi agency interventions.
Richmond -ASB
This consists of 21 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 6
ASB Nuisance 13
ASB Environmental 2
Issues surrounding the Night Time Economy have caused increased demand to the police, particularly on a weekend in the late evening to the early hours.
Violent incidents have occurred, linked to alcohol use which have resulted in a number of arrests and convictions through the courts.
Increased patrols are taking place alongside RMP, and the NPT are regularly attending the monthly pub watch meetings in Richmond alongside licensing to ensure licensees are complying with their licensing objectives to prevent crime and disorder.
Catterick -ASB
This consists of 56 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 10
ASB Nuisance 43
ASB Environmental 3
Youth ASB has seen an increase in the Catterick/Colburn and Hipswell areas. A number of youths identified have been dealt with through the criminal justice process and referred for the relevant sanctions through the youth offending panel.
Increased patrols will continue in the area, with dispersal powers used when required, and referral to the Community Safety Hub for youths identified for multi agency interventions.
Leyburn/Middleham/Hawes
This consists of 10 ASB Reports recorded as the following:
ASB Personal 8
ASB Nuisance 1
ASB Environmental 1
Low levels of anti social behaviour are reported in the Dales.
The NPT work closely with the national parks rangers and conduct regular joint patrols in the area to combat the use of nuisance off road vehicles.
Child Exploitation CSE / CCE
Currently across the Hambleton and Richmondshire area there are three adopted CCE/CSE perpetrators from the Hambleton area. These perpetrators are graded at medium and low risk and are managed locally by the NPT. Disruption to these perpetrators is conducted by the team, intelligence gathered, and potential victims identified and safeguarded through mutli agency referrals.
The management of the perpetrators is a priority for the NPT, with weekly meetings held to discuss risk and interventions required.
Current PSP’s & Operations
Op Vernal
The team continue to work with our religious groups and communities by engaging with community leaders and monitoring any tensions whilst conducting targeted patrols to ensure any groups are reassured and feel safe to pray at their designated venues.
Operation Heel - Hambleton
Operation Heel is the Hambleton response to cross border rural criminality in the Stokesley area.
This operation has been adopted as a force priority, recognising the impact rural crime has on our communities.
The NPT work closely with our specialist operations departments to proactively disrupt criminal activity in this area, with high risk offenders targeted and put though the criminal justice system when identified as responsible for committing crime.
Cleveland Police are a key partner in this operation, and support with intel gathering and the management of offenders, who often travel to the North Yorkshire area to commit crime.
This is an ongoing operation and will continue over the summer months.
Operation Grouse 2 - Hambleton
Operation Supply - Richmondshire
The team continue to gather information regarding County Lines drug activity and take positive action against those involved. With targeted high visibility and plain clothes patrols in known locations and working with agencies like Probation and the courts to ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Op Respond
A county wide operation to target burglaries involving hi Vis and covert patrols in and around affected areas.
Op Sceptre / OP Divan
Knife crime is a national concern particularly with youths. Our NPT teams often work with our school liaison officers to produce and deliver crime and safeguarding education at our local schools and colleges. We have a knife amnesty bin in the town centre that is emptied weekly removing potential future risks.
Cuckoo / Vulnerable Victims
Our teams regularly conduct impromptu welfare checks on some or very vulnerable potential “Cuckoo” victims in company with Housing staff and the Community Safety Partnership Hub to ensure they get the support that they need and are as protected as well as much as is possible.
Priorities – Tasking and Vulnerability Patrol Plan (TVP)
· OP RESPOND - A county wide operation to target burglaries involving hi Vis and covert patrols in and around affected areas.
· Safeguarding Most Vulnerable - Visiting and safeguarding our most vulnerable victims of Domestic abuse, CSE / CCE and Cuckoo victims by actively targeting/disrupting the perpetrators and supporting victims.
· Op Hotspot – National response to ASB which encompasses Northallerton, Thirsk, Richmond and Catterick/Colburn. This is data driven and provides dedicated and specifically targeted additional patrols solely to disrupt and prevent ASB whilst gathering evidence.
· Project Spotlight – Collaborative approach with partner agencies to tackle ASB in the area of Richmond Falls. Has been in operation since May 2024 and includes regular multi agency meetings to identify and tackle local issues and will see an increased high visibility patrols on peak hot weather evenings and weekends.
· Retail Crime – New dedicated team for prevention and early intervention in retail crime, for Harrogate Town.
· Op Byway – Joint patrols with national parks in the Dales ensuring correct use of green lanes and tackling ASB with the use of off road bikes and quads.