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2007
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November 2007
> Joint Police & Housing Action Improves Local Neighbourhood
Joint working between Cumbria Police and Derwent & Solway Housing Association has seen another successful result in Workington, with the surrender of a tenancy in the Moorclose area after repeated incidents of antisocial behaviour at the property.
The partnership work between the police and D&S is seeing an increasing drop in crime figures across Workington as they continue in their clamp down on all criminal or antisocial behaviour.
After repeated reports of drug use at the Moorclose property and antisocial behaviour caused by the tenant and his visitors, Derwent & Solway’s Community Safety Team along with Cumbria Police’s specialist Antisocial Behaviour Team have taken swift action to ensure local residents and other members of the public are protected immediately from the perpetrators.
With the support of local people they gathered evidence to close the property and evict the tenant, however the threat of legal action resulted in the tenant moving out of the property of his own accord.
Robert Porter, Director of Derwent & Solway Housing Association said:
“Working with the police we have been able to take action against someone who is known to have caused problems in the area. It is important that we fulfil our responsibilities of providing safe and peaceful communities for all residents and want to assure them that any reporting of antisocial behaviour will be taken seriously and acted upon.”
Both D&S and the police have made it clear that they will fully utilise the powers that the Government has introduced to help deal with tenants who have no regard for their neighbours well-being and want to send out a strong message ‘behave or be homeless’.
Antisocial Behaviour Officers, PC Graeme Hodkin and PC Chrissie Stone said it was unusual to close a house without a closure order but by doing so, and working together with the landlord, a clear and positive message was going out to all those who wished to destroy community life:
“If they cannot behave they will lose their homes and without RESPECT in the neighbourhoods the minority who cause the problems will be dealt with in a robust and positive way to protect the majority.”
The closure is a significant step towards building safer neighbourhoods and D&S, with the local police, are sending out a strong message that any perpetrators of criminal or antisocial behaviour will be severely reprimanded in the interests of other residents and their quality of life.