Officers spend more than 1900 hours on targeted patrols

Resident,

Officers on extra, targeted patrols to address problem behaviour have spent more than 1,900 hours on the beat.

In December, officers carried out 539 extra patrols as part of Operation Shango, totalling 1,921 officer hours across the county.

These patrols resulted in:

Officers on hotspot patrols were also proactive in dealing with a number of different issues. At the start of January, eagle-eyed officers on Shango patrols in Chesterfield spotted that something wasn’t right with a car idling near a takeaway.

The driver, aged 26, was arrested for immigration and theft offences. He has been released on bail while the investigation continues.

During December, 153 referrals were made to our Immediate Justice scheme. This sees perpetrators of anti-social behaviour and other crimes complete work in their community to repair the harm they have caused.

T/Inspector Jack Williamson, who leads Operation Shango and our Immediate Justice scheme, said: “These extra patrols have proved effective in tackling hotspots for problem behaviour. We’ve seen a 15% reduction in anti-social behaviour in these areas in the past 12 months, which shows this targeted approach works.

“Immediate Justice continues to be effective in addressing the causes of crime – encouraging perpetrators to think about the impact of their behaviour. 65% of those who have completed the scheme haven’t reoffended since.

“Operation Shango is working well to complement the regular patrols and interventions that officers do as part of their regular duties every day.”