Police credit Rushden town centre 'Operation Renew' as reported crime incidents fall
The first six months for Operation Renew, an initiative set up to detect and prevent anti-social behaviour, have been a success, according to police.
Operation Renew, a community policing initiative in Rushden, was set up to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), criminal damage, shop theft and robbery in the town.
Police say the initiative has been a factor in the number of crimes being reported, most notably in criminal damage (down 79 per cent) and ASB (down 58 per cent) in the six months since the East Northants Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) began.
But as of August, zero fixed penalty notices had been given in Rushden in the first five months of the PSPO implemented earlier this year.
According to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the PSPO gives the police and the council wider powers to deal with problems which can ‘harm the local community's quality of life.’
Speaking about Operation Renew, East Northants NPT Sergeant Leigh Françoise Goodwin said: “We know our residents have had specific concerns about issues in Rushden, so we set about creating a tailored policing response to tackle both the causes and those responsible for these problems and crimes.
“Through measures including daily area-specific patrols, education work with local schools, and working with local businesses and partner agencies, we’ve already seen some brilliant results.
“Issues like these aren’t solved overnight but by empowering our residents to report concerns to us and working closely with our partners, Rushden is already seeing real benefits and I look forward to continuing our successes into 2025.”