Funding to cut crime and antisocial behaviour at Rec and railway station in Stratford
MEASURES to cut crime and improve safety will be introduced at the Rec and the railway station in Stratford after extra funding was secured to tackle issues such as drugs and antisocial behaviour.
The force has been given more than £350,000 by the government to improve public safety in Stratford as well as at Eagle Recreation Ground in Leamington, and locations in Nuneaton and Rugby.
New CCTV cameras and additional lighting could be installed while other measures could include removing vegetation or installing physical barriers.
The office of Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Seccombe, said the money from the Safer Streets Fund, along with a further £197,842 from partners, is being targeted at areas which have been identified as suffering from issues such as violent crime, robbery, sexual assaults, drugs misuse, County Lines activity and antisocial behaviour.
The Herald reported in summer of last year about fights on the Rec and Waterside involving groups of young people visiting the town. In one incident last May, a 17-year-old girl had her jaw broken by a male attacker after she went to the aid of another female teenager who was being assaulted.
At the time Warwickshire Police acknowledged there was a problem with antisocial behaviour caused by young people descending on the town at weekends, and put a Section 35 Dispersal Order in place.
And in September last year about 30 people – men and women – were involved in a brawl at Stratford railway station.
A police officer was also allegedly assaulted by a woman at Stratford railway station last June.
Communities in the town will be involved to help choose the right solutions, the commissioner’s office said, with work then taking place next year.
Safety and awareness campaigns will also be run in each of the areas.
Mr Seccombe said: “[The funding we secured] will allow community safety partners to make some meaningful improvements in parts of our county that sadly have been blighted by serious crime and anti-social behaviour in the recent past.
“It also helps to further strengthen the approach to tackling violence against women and girls.
“By working with the local communities in the areas concerned, we want to ensure that each project is as effective as possible at reducing the problems residents have told us about.
“In turn, we want to raise the confidence of communities that these areas are safe places for everyone to enjoy, while sending a parallel message that crime and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Cllr Andy Crump, portfolio holder for community safety at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The money will support the county council and partners’ ongoing plans tackling issues of antisocial behaviour, different types of neighbourhood crime for all residents, as well as violence against women and girls to help them feel and be safer in public spaces across the county.”
