My name is Lise Jones and I am one of the Sergeants for the South Leeds Neighbourhood Policing Team. Over the past few months, I have been involved in the planning of the partnership response to the bonfire period in South Leeds.
As the bonfire period is almost upon us, I would like to share some of this information with you.
The period around Halloween and bonfire night is always a significant challenge for ourselves as police. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year for the Force and other emergency services.
We also understand the concerns of residents who are fearful of the anti-social behaviour that it can bring.
Conversely, we understand that it’s also a time when families and communities can come together and it’s important that people are able to safely enjoy celebrating bonfire night and Halloween.
During the bonfire period of 2021, we saw a significant reduction in calls for service relating to the anti-social use of fireworks and bonfire related ASB. We hope to replicate this this year in order that everybody can enjoy a safe and happy bonfire night.
I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the community that West Yorkshire Police is working closely with partner agencies, including West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Leeds City Council, to ensure that people are able to enjoy the period safely and that those who misuse fireworks or are involved in anti-social behaviour and criminality are dealt with robustly
West Yorkshire Police will have an increased police presence in the community to offer reassurance, particularly to vulnerable residents, and to ensure people taking part in the festivities have a fun time whilst respecting others.
Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from Leeds South Neighbourhood Policing Team will be conducting high visibility patrols in key areas. They will be supported by specialist officers trained in dealing with public disorder. West Yorkshire Police will take firm action against those involved in anti-social behaviour.
I would encourage anybody who is experiencing anti-social behaviour of any type to report this to the Police. Not only does this enable officers to deal with any ongoing concerns, it also highlights hotspot areas for us to focus our attention in future with a view to being in the right place at the right time.
Please always call 999 in an emergency, where there is a risk to someone’s safety or you think a crime is in progress, but consider looking online before phoning the police for other matters. This helps the Police attend to those people who are in real need. Other options would be to Ask The Police website, Local Crime tracker, 101 Live Chat, Online Crime reporting. Find the details at: www.westyorkshire.police.uk
This post was written by Sergeant Lise Jones of the Leeds South Neighbourhood Policing Team
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