Police success in targeting town centre nuisances
Tuesday, 27th October 2009.
A police operation on the last weekend of the summer holidays has led to the identification of virtualy all of a group of youngsters engaged in anti-social behaviour in and around Haverhill town centre.
Operation StaySafe targeted under-age drinkers through CCTV footage, which allowed them to identify the youngsters and take them to a 'place of safety' while their parents were informed of what they had been up to.
Parents were invited to come into the police station to view the CCTV footage of their children.
PC Rupert Baynon said there were up to 20 youths involved, aged between 12 and 18 and they had now got 'most of them'.
Various stages of action can then be taken, starting with a 'youth nuisance' letter. If more than two letters are sent about one youngster, the police beat officer will call to have a chat with the parents, after which housing associations can be involved, and possibly an acceptable behaviour contract is drawn up.
Only after all these stages have been passed without success in curbing the individual could an application be made for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) be made.
But PC Beynon said in most cases police hoped the parents involved would do something once they were informed of the CCTV evidence.
Operation StaySafe targeted under-age drinkers through CCTV footage, which allowed them to identify the youngsters and take them to a 'place of safety' while their parents were informed of what they had been up to.
Parents were invited to come into the police station to view the CCTV footage of their children.
PC Rupert Baynon said there were up to 20 youths involved, aged between 12 and 18 and they had now got 'most of them'.
Various stages of action can then be taken, starting with a 'youth nuisance' letter. If more than two letters are sent about one youngster, the police beat officer will call to have a chat with the parents, after which housing associations can be involved, and possibly an acceptable behaviour contract is drawn up.
Only after all these stages have been passed without success in curbing the individual could an application be made for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) be made.
But PC Beynon said in most cases police hoped the parents involved would do something once they were informed of the CCTV evidence.
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