'Police attend less than half of antisocial behaviour incidents in Wakefield and people have lost faith’ – MP says

West Yorkshire Police has said it prioritises the calls that have the most immediate need and is working with partners like Wakefield Council to try to tackle the root of problems like drug abuse.

A survey by Wakefield MP Simon Lightwood into antisocial behaviour found that only 8 per cent of respondents thought their community was safer now than in 2010, with half believing that it had become less safe.

More than a third of respondents said they never saw the police at all, with another 42 per saying they see them less than once a month.

The Labour MP said the most recent statistics show that there are over 25,000 incidents of antisocial behaviour reported every week across the country, averaging 1,000 a week in West Yorkshire.

Mr Lightwood believes that these figures do not reflect the experiences of his constituents and that numbers are impacted by a lack of reporting, with officers not even attending 55.2 per cent of all anti-social behaviour incidents recorded between 2019 and 2021.

Mr Lightwood said the blame laid with the government and West Yorkshire had secured 60 more police officers with help from West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin.

West Yorkshire Police said it had seized millions of pounds worth of drugs and Wakefield remained a safe place.

Mr Lightwood said: "I have been really concerned to hear of so many incidents of antisocial behaviour in Wakefield, Horbury and Ossett.

"I am pleased that Labour managed to secure 60 new officers for Wakefield. However, its clear that more still needs to be done.

"Arrests have halved since the Conservatives took office in 2010 and over 10,000 neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs have been cut nationwide.

"People have lost faith that reporting crimes will lead to any action, let alone an arrest.

"Despite the valiant work of hardworking officers, the Government is letting the country down when it comes to policing.

"That's why I'm launching my local campaign to encourage residents to report crime and antisocial behaviour when they see it. It's a case of use it or lose it.

“If we don't report these issues, these artificially low statistics lead to fewer police resources going to those areas. The crime and the suffering in the community continues. We must stop this cycle of decline.

“We need a Labour government to deliver 13,000 new police officers and PCSOs into our communities, to keep the public safe, crack down on crime and punish those who cause misery on our streets.”

Last year Mr Lightwood and Wakefield Council Leader Denise Jeffery called for action over a city-wide crime survey they claim has produced “damning results”.

A senior police chief insisted Wakefield continues to be a safe place to live and work.

Chief Inspector Emma Hooks, Neighbourhoods and Partnerships Lead for Wakefield District, said: “We understand that anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a concern in our communities and are committed to working with our partners across Wakefield to address any issues experienced by those working and living in the district.

“The police in isolation cannot tackle the root causes of ASB. However, we work with key partners, including Wakefield Council, to try and understand the potential motivations of offenders and identify key hotspot areas. We then take a problem-solving approach to address these issues.

"A number of initiatives have been introduced across the district to tackle ASB. A good example of this is Project ADDER, which is focused on tackling issues with drug use and supply in Wakefield district.

"We have made over a hundred arrests and seized millions of pounds worth of drugs and removed these from the streets; but alongside this has been significant investment in education and treatment services in the district to deter people from using drugs or becoming involved in their supply. In addition, extra staffing and visibility is in place at times of heightened demand within identified hotspot areas.

“As the police, we do always need to balance threat, risk and harm and must prioritise our emergency and priority calls, making sure we are safeguarding the most vulnerable people. I want to reassure the public though that we do take ASB seriously and where appropriate take action to address. This could be the immediate deployment of an officer but could also include a referral to Wakefield Council’s ASB Team or extra deployment of high visibility patrols from Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

“Unfortunately, every area experiences crime and ASB, but comparatively the district of Wakefield, is a safe place to live and work. I would urge anyone who does have concerns about ASB or who has been the victim or witness to an incident of ASB to please contact their local Neighbourhood Policing Team through 101. You should always call 999 to report a crime in progress.”

Last year, after Mr Lightwood and Coun Jeffery, called for a meeting with the Home Secretary over the issue of antisocial behaviour, Chief Superintendent Richard Close, of Wakefield District Police, said: “Our officers speak regularly with residents and we are working with partners at Wakefield Council to jointly address the concerns we know they have regarding anti-social behaviour (ASB).

“The causes of ASB are complex and driven by factors including deprivation, increased population, lack of opportunities for some of the predominantly young people involved in it, and other concerns such as drugs and alcohol abuse.

“Tackling the root causes of ASB is an issue which goes much wider than policing and cannot be solved just by police action.

“These underlying causes are a matter for the whole partnership and I can assure residents we are committed to playing our part in this work."