EFFORTS are being made to curb the increasing problem of anti-social behaviour in Stratford.
Pop Up Safe Spaces and Operation Talkative, to tackle knife crime, are among the initiatives being rolled out by Stratford District Council and Stratford Safer Neighbourhoods team.
The move comes after a perceived increase in violence and anti-social behaviour in Stratford town centre over recent years, with former mayor Cyril Bennis calling for immediate action to address the escalating situation.
Pop Up Safe Spaces will be trialled across the whole district as a pilot project which could then be implemented across Warwickshire.
Led by SDC’s community safety team, it is geared at increasing feelings of safety in the community by providing a safe space where people can also access the right help and support.
The safe spaces will be welcoming, confidential, and free from judgement. Anyone can come and talk to the agencies present about available support or concerns in their local community, particularly focusing on crime and anti-social behaviour.
Meanwhile, the new policing initiative called Operation Talkative is to encourage the reporting of knife carrying.
It is asking for the community to share more information about anyone they know or hear about in possession of a knife.
The information provided will be used to determine an appropriate response.
It is recognised that traditional police enforcement towards those in possession of or using knives to commit crime has limitations. It can miss the potential for early intervention to prevent and deter, which could stop an incident escalating into criminality or worse.
Stratford Safer Neighbourhood Teams Inspector Ben Hembry said: “This initiative is not meant to be a panacea to knife crime in our district, but is a deliberate effort to respond to the concerns we all have, encouraging better reporting and sharing of information from our community. We will take very deliberate action with anyone who threatens public safety, but the more the public tell us, the more options are available to tackle issues before they even escalate.”
According to Mr Bennis the image of Stratford has changed beyond recognition.
Just last month, he said, there was a fight outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and another in Bridge Street and an altercation involving drunks outside the Nat West bank.
The Observer also reported that two teenage boys were forced to take shelter in a restaurant in Bell Court after being pursued by a gang of balaclava-wearing youths they claimed were armed with a knife.
