Police crackdown on crime proves a success
ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour from youths in Soham has decreased following a successful crack down by police.
Over the past three months, officers have been taking action in the town after concerns were highlighted by members of the Soham area Neighbourhood Panel meeting in January.
Panel members had been particularly concerned about anti-social behaviour along the High Street and near The Fountain pub.
East Cambridgeshire Sector Inspector Alan Savill told panel members last Tuesday that they had held surgeries and engaged with minority communities in a bid to get youths off the street.
This included talking to staff at the Portuguese cafe in Soham to see if anything could be done to accommodate youngsters.
He said plans were also being discussed for youth programmes in the area, including a boxing club.
Officers have also carried out patrols in Soham, sent awareness letters to parents of youngsters caught misbehaving and have conducted a test purchase operation.
However, Insp Savill said officers were still seizing a lot of alcohol from youngsters.
In Soham north ward, anti-social behaviour crime had dropped from 30 offences during the previous three months to 21 offences – 13 of these offences involved rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour, six were complaints about youths and in three of them, the youths were throwing snowballs.
Incidents of anti-social behaviour have continued to fall in Soham south ward, from 86 offences to 48 offences.
Thirty of these were offences of rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, with the majority involving youths.
Police are hoping to tackle burglaries in the town over the next three months following an increase in Soham and Fordham.
"That is where my officers are telling me we need to concentrate," said Insp Savill.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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