Extra police patrols begin in Skelmersdale to tackle anti-social behaviour

This comes as part of a community wide crackdown on anti-social behaviour (ASB) announced by Lancashire Constabulary and Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden.

Home Office funding secured by the Commissioner already funds additional foot patrols in six districts as part of Op Centurion as part of Mr Snowden’s Fighting Crime Plan priority of getting tough on ASB.

This approach is now being rolled out across the county meaning that all of Lancashire's districts benefit from extra resources targeting areas identified as ASB hotspots, with additional Op Centurion patrols now also targeting areas within Morecambe, Darwen, St Annes, Clitheroe, Colne, Bacup and Leyland as well as Skelmersdale.

The operation is led by the Constabulary's local neighbourhood teams, supported by the newly established ASB Prevention and Problem-Solving Command; a team of specialist officers including civil enforcement, designing-out crime and business and rural crime experts, funded by the Commissioner.

The team works alongside councils, neighbourhood police officers, housing associations and key partners throughout the county in order to shut down drug dens, seize nuisance bikes and secure arrests for individuals involved in a range of offences.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said: "Anti-social behaviour is a blight on our communities and an issue that residents raise with me time and time again, which is why I have made it a priority in my Fighting Crime Plan for Lancashire.

"Op Centurion is stepping up the fight against ASB in our communities. The Constabulary has dedicated neighbourhood police officers in every area and this work is bolstered by an additional £2m I have been able to secure from the Government to invest in dedicated foot patrols targeting ASB hotspot areas.

"It is fantastic to see these patrols being rolled out across all Lancashire districts to make a real impact in our neighbourhoods including Skelmersdale.

"Having joined officers on patrol in different parts of the county, I have already seen the positive impact they have on local areas, engaging with residents and local business as well as dealing robustly with any crime and anti-social behaviour.

"I am absolutely committed to cracking down on anti-social behaviour and I will continue to work closely with the Chief Constable to ensure the Constabulary has the resources needed to get tough on ASB and keep our communities safe."

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Procter said: “Anti-social behaviour has a profound impact on people’s lives. It makes them feel unsafe in their homes and community spaces and is completely unacceptable. Op Centurion was launched at the beginning of July 2023 with a renewed focus on tackling ASB with a clear aim of putting a stop to incidents like criminal damage, intimidating and aggressive behaviour and drug dealing.

“Since the launch of Op Centurion our officers have seized 271 nuisance vehicles, arrested 211 people for drugs supply offences and 414 people for criminal damage. We have also issued 68 ASB related civil orders and we have an unwavering commitment to continue to take action against those few who engage in this type of behaviour.

“Ultimately, if you are experiencing ASB we need you to report it, to give us and our partner agencies the opportunity to put a stop to it and continue to see positive results.”

You can report Anti-social behaviour at the dedicated website https://www.lancashire-pcc.gov.uk/lancashire-tackling-asb/

For more information about Operation Centurion, visit LancashireTacklingASB.co.uk