Crooks bowled over by ten pin

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Major crackdown on dirty criminals proves success

A major crackdown on dirty criminals who trash the environment by dropping litter, dumping cars and fly-tipping was successfully carried out last Thursday 21 September.

Codenamed 'ten pin', the zero tolerance blitz cleaned up large parts of the north of the borough as well as striking out at dodgy restaurants, skiving school kids and nuisance motorists.

"We know that litter, rubbish and fly-posting attracts crime to an area, because it makes an area seem uncared for and run down," says Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for crime and anti-social behaviour.

"Zero-tolerance action is about nipping the seemingly small crimes in the bud before they produce an environment for larger, more serious crimes."

Police and council officers targeted low-level crooks in the College Park and Old Oak area by: issuing fines to litterlouts; targeting abandoned vehicles; spot checking restaurant licences and challenging skiving school kids.

The council's street scene enforcement officers issued five fines for littering and licensing officers visited dozens of food outlets with several prosecutions now in the pipeline.

Street cleansing officers were hard at work sweeping the streets, cleaning and collecting rubbish and Safer Neighbourhood teams patrolled the streets, with mounted police and council parks police working in Wormwood and Little Wormwood Scrubs to provide a visible police presence. Police also pursued 22 warrants for arrest and officers from the transport operation command unit were out in force.

Sergeant Brian Murphy from the Askew Safer Neighbourhoods Team said the operation was a great opportunity for the police, council and partner agencies to work together to solve common problems.

Sergeant Murphy said, "By working together we were able to target the persistent offenders that have such a detrimental effect on this part of the borough."

Cllr Smith continues, "We make no apology for getting tough with the anti-social minority of criminals who trash our streets."

Council graffiti teams cleaned up graffiti tags from shops and shutters free of charge and the fire service also gave out safety information to passers by. Council and police officers will now continue to maintain regular enforcement across the borough on an on-going basis.

 

September 29, 2006