Warrington Community Safety Partnership – a group of organisations who tackle crime and disorder across the borough – has commissioned a ‘stay safe’ project to safeguard vulnerable children and teenagers.
The project will involve the council’s youth work team working alongside Cheshire Police to patrol the town centre and other key locations, with the aim of discouraging young people away from anti-social behaviour and associated risks and harm.
Officers and youth workers will be circulating through the town, across key locations, looking for anyone under the age of 18 who might be involved in anti-social behaviour or crime, or in the company of adults who are equally causing disorder.
This will also include youngsters in possession of, or under the influence of, alcohol or drugs, as well as anyone who does not look old enough to be out on the streets at night.
Inspector Ruth Atherton, of the Warrington Local Policing Unit, said: “Both the police and Warrington Borough Council take reports of young people engaging in anti-social behaviour, causing disturbances or concerns for their own safety when they are believed to have been consuming alcohol or taking drugs very seriously. Officers will be out in partnership with council colleagues, patrolling known hotspot locations. Our main aim will be to protect vulnerable children and young people and to try to deter them from this behaviour as well as keeping our wider communities safe.
Cllr Tony Higgins, cabinet member for leisure and community, added: “During the summer period, the council’s community safety team will be working in partnership with Cheshire Police to help address incidents of anti-social behaviour or low-level crime. We have identified some common locations across the town centre where this type of behaviour and activity occurs and which involves young people.
“I want to reassure everyone that we know the vast majority of young people in our communities do not engage in anti-social behaviour. But, through a multi-agency response, we are aiming to identify any children at risk of being drawn into anti-social or other risky behaviours and divert them away from harm.
“Warrington’s Community Safety Partnership takes its responsibility to tackle anti-social behaviour very seriously and we will continue to look at ways in which we can address this type of unwanted behaviour, whilst also providing support to those at risk of being drawn into circumstances that lead to disorder.”
For more information, please visit warrington.gov.uk/community-safety-partnership
