Councillors Paul Wray and Mohammed Iqbal (Labour, Hunslet & Riverside) are asking city centre and riverside residents to be vigilant about the growing problem of cuckooing within their communities, with issues reported at developments such as Leeds Dock, Victoria Riverside, and beyond.
Cllr Paul Wray said:
“We typically assume cuckooing only takes place in the inner-city communities — this couldn’t be further from the truth, and this type of crime is a growing problem in apartment blocks. Mohammed and I are seeing increasing reports of such activity and are working with residents to ensure this is reported to West Yorkshire Police and the Leeds Anti-social Behaviour Team.”
Cuckooing is the process of organised crime groups or perpetrators taking over properties for criminal or sexual activity. Properties are used for pop-up brothels, storing, and preparing drugs or weapons, or for throwing parties, among other activities.
Leeds Antisocial Behaviour and West Yorkshire Police are leading the charge to tackle this issue on a national as well as a local level, pushing for changes to the law.
Cllr Paul Wray continued:
“Not only is the direct criminal activity an issue in itself, but the weakening of building security is making parcel thefts far easier, and the creation of antisocial noise is ruining the wellbeing of residents trying to live peaceful lives, all of which is exacerbating the on-going issues created by unapproved short-term holiday lets.”
Councillors are asking residents to report issues or unusual behaviour to the authorities. Please don’t assume someone else has.
This video has information on spotting the signs of cuckooing:
You can contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101, chatting to someone live via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/LiveChat or making a report via Report it at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/report-it.
This post is based on a press release issued by Councillors Paul Wray and Mohammed Iqbal
Photo: Leeds Dock. Credit: Tim Green CC BY 2.0 via Creative Commons
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