POLICE in Warrington are celebrating a significant reduction in crime and incidents reported in the town centre during the festive period.
During December 2023, 381 incidents were reported in the town centre, 13% lower than 2022 (440 incidents) and one of the lowest levels in the past six years.
The only time less crimes were recorded in the area was in 2020 when the Covid lockdown restrictions were in place.
Of those incidents reported in 2023, almost a third of them were police-generated – meaning officers were actively identifying issues within the community and taking positive action to disrupt any criminal or anti-social behaviour.
In addition, for the first time in six years, there were also no reports of any sexual offences occurring within the town centre throughout the Christmas period.
A significant amount of work undertaken by Warrington’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, whose focus has been to up engagement with local communities and deter crime, has allowed for such positive results.
While the number of reported incidents in the town centre fell, the number of arrests increased to 102 – a 36% increase in arrests from 2022, and a 56% increase from 2021.
The success can be attributed to the ongoing work by officers in the town centre, as well as a number of proactive operations carried out over the year.
A zero-tolerance approach to violence against women and girls (VAWG) saw the launch of Operation Banishing earlier in the year.
Led by the Problem-Solving Team, Operation Banishing has seen a great success in Warrington’s capability to increase early interventions in the night time economy.
Officers were upskilled in spotting the signs of anti-social sexualised behaviour, focusing on early intervention and safeguarding, whilst engaging with the most vulnerable within the community.
Additional officers were also deployed during intensification evenings and will continue to be throughout the coming year.
Alongside this, officers have engaged with over a hundred young people at further education premises with advice on how to identify signs of predatory behaviour and how apps such as the Hollie Guard App can provide security when alone or when feeling unsafe.
Project Servator, another tactic at Warrington’s disposal, remains a consistent tool for the engagement of local businesses and the daytime economy.
As part of Project Servator, officers are specially trained to spot and intervene in any suspicious and anti-social behaviour that can quickly lead to criminal activity. This has led to the arrest of drug dealers, those carrying weapons, and the detention of wanted people actively evading police.
Inspector Lee Hillyard, of Warrington’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We use an array of tactics in our pursuit to keep the streets of Warrington a safe place to live and visit, and I’m delighted that our hard work is paying off and residents are feeling the benefits.
“December is an extremely busy time, and it’s no different for those of us in policing. Our officers have faced the hustle and bustle of Warrington’s night time economy and have worked long hours – often into the early mornings – to patrol the town and provide visible reassurance.
“We aim to ensure that all residents feel safe and protected, and we want our proactive approach to leave no room for criminals to operate.
“We are incredibly proud that our efforts have resulted in the lowest number of reported crimes over the past six Christmas periods, and we’ll continue to work just as hard to keep this momentum going.
“While I am happy that no sexual offences have been reported in Warrington Town Centre throughout December, I can appreciate that this doesn’t necessarily mean that there have been none.
“Sexual offences notoriously take place behind closed doors and often times go unreported altogether. Our officers are specially trained and well equipped to support all victims of sexual offences, we treat all reports seriously and investigate them thoroughly, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.
To report any sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences . Always call 999 in an emergency.
