Retailers in south Leeds see ‘real improvement’ after police crack down on anti-social behaviour
Shopkeepers at retail parks in south Leeds say the tide is starting to turn after months of frustration over anti-social behaviour.
A catalogue of crime has been recorded from youths racing bikes through shopping parade, hurling abuse at shop workers, criminal damage, theft and intimidation.
Some staff even admitted they stopped reporting every incident because they had little confidence their concerns would be addressed.
Specialist officers from Team Leodis have been supporting staff at The Penny Hill Centre, Tulip Retail Park and along Low Road.
And during that time they claim to have seen improvements in the area through a mix of injunction warnings, court orders, targeted enforcement and early intervention schemes aimed at steering young people away from trouble.
Sergeant Edel Fox, of Team Leodis, said: “This work is not about short-term fixes but about making long-term positive improvements for retailers and their customers.
“While we did make arrests, we have found that education and early intervention and support, particularly with younger offenders, can make more of a difference than just arresting them.
“Approaches such as the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction Warnings and the Ninety-minute project are about taking time to understand individuals’ circumstances, speaking to them about the impact of their behaviour, offering them additional support and referrals to other services and ultimately deterring them from the behaviour that is negatively affecting others.
“We have seen some really positive results, but what is especially heartening is that we have also gone back out to survey the same retail and fast-food outlets and they are seeing a real improvement in the area and drop in ASB incidents.”
Team Leodis is part-funded by the Leeds City Council’s housing service and West Yorkshire Police work in partnership with the council to problem solve ASB issues in the community.
Coun Asghar Khan, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said: “As a council, we are proud to provide funding to support the work of Team Leodis and it’s really pleasing to see the impact of their recent focus on anti-social behaviour in and around these retail locations.
“Their presence has clearly made a positive difference to retailers and customers alike, while those responsible for the problems have, it is hoped, been deterred from causing further trouble.
“The results in Hunslet underline how Team Leodis’s approach is effective across different community settings, with previous deployments successfully addressing anti-social behaviour at blocks of council flats in areas including Little London and Burmantofts.”