Under-pressure police admit anti-social behaviour is ‘going through the roof’ in Ossett

Burglary, assaults and drug-related offences are also on the rise as an under-resourced neighbourhood policing team struggles to cope with a spike in crime, a meeting heard.

Residents were told Ossett now has just four dedicated officers responsible for policing around 16,500 people compared to around 30 officers 12 years ago.

People queued to get into a public meeting to vent their frustration at the situation.

PCSO Richard Firth spoke on behalf of West Yorkshire Police at Ossett’s monthly Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting, held at NewSpring Church.

Introducing his colleagues, two of whom were on rest days, he said: “The four of us are the Ossett team.

“We are the four that are dedicated to neighbourhood policing in Ossett. That’s it. That’s all there is.”

The officer said anti-social behaviour continues to be a problem, with people complaining that Ossett’s bus station has become a “no-go zone”.

He said: “In the last six weeks we have had 20 calls about nuisance behaviour at the bus station.

“We have visited some kids. We have given them contracts from the council not to go in the bus station.

“We have done various things behind the scenes but nothing seems to be working at the moment.

“The only thing that we have noticed is that on the evenings when we are rostered to work we don’t get any calls.

“On the evenings when we are on rest days it can be bedlam. We got loads of calls.”

The meeting was told there had been 30 reports of assault in Ossett in the past six weeks, mainly domestic incidents.

The officer said theft from shops in Ossett continues to be a problem.

He said: “Shoplifting is still going on at the Co-op.

“Quite frankly they are easy targets. There are no security staff and the shop staff are told not to get involved.

“If somebody walks in with a bag and fills it up with spirits and walks out they do not get challenged.”

PCSO Firth said some stores had taken measures to ban a group of teenage girls who had been stealing alcohol.

He said: “The calls for anti-social behaviour, which basically means nuisance youths, have gone through the roof in the last six weeks.

“We are really, really struggling with the resources that we have.”

Residents of Fairfield Avenue attended the meeting to complain about drug dealing from a property in the street.

One resident said: “We have reported and reported and reported and nothing is happening. People are buying and selling drugs in daylight.

“The police have been called out six times a week.

“This has been going on since November.

“When you ring up WDH (Wakefield District Housing) they say it’s a police matter and when you ring the police they say it’s a WDH matter.

“Nobody is helping us.

“Come and look through our living room window and you can see them every day.”The residents said they had also filmed drug exchanges taking place and offered to pass the footage onto officers along with registration

numbers of vehicles involved.

Others complained about drug dealing elsewhere in the town.

Another resident said: “This is in public. You are not present, even when we are asking you to be present and you are given the intelligence to enable you to be present.

“It is happening on our doorsteps and it doesn’t seem to be acted upon.”

Some people at the meeting spoke in defence of the officers.

One women said: “This is due to cuts. It is alright moaning at these people.

“They are doing their best. It’s the Home Office and people who can actually get more police out there, that’s who we should be campaigning to.

“They have the power to actually put more police on the street.

“At one time we had three neighbourhood policing teams. Now we have got just one.”

PCSO Firth told the meeting how officers had acted upon intelligence which led to the discovery of 200 bags of cocaine in the boot of a car in Ossett.

He said: “Without people giving us that intelligence that would not have happened.”

A resident responded by saying: “That’s good but it needs to be happening on a regular basis.”

Another resident suggested organising a petition calling for more officers in the town.

She asked: “What do you need us to do, because obviously you are struggling?”

PCSO Firth replied: “It’s simple. We need more officers.

“Lobby your MP (Simon Lightwood) and tell him there are not enough officers on the beat.”

The officer was asked if the people responsible for the anti-social behaviour could be issued with criminal behaviour orders.

He replied: “You will not get one for a kid in Ossett.

“There is a girl in Wakefield – I won’t name her. She is horrendous. She is not bothered about anyone.

“She does what she wants.

“She went in front of the magistrates, there was loads of evidence for a criminal behaviour order.

“They said ‘no, we are going to give her one more chance’.

“The kids in Ossett are quite low level compared to her.“We are too soft with them. The criminal justice system is too soft with them.

“All I can say is, if we find anyone committing an offence in Ossett, child or adult, we will do our best to prosecute.”

PCSO Firth said just one of five CCTV cameras is working in the town as Wakefield Council is still in the process of replacing the system.

Ossett councillor Nick Farmer told the meeting he had continued to highlight the problems caused by the lack of security cameras with the local authority.

He said: “I have been given promises for between 12 and 18 months now.

“I was told last month it would take between four and six weeks and it would be up and running.

“We just keep getting fobbed off.

“I keep bringing it up but it is like banging your head against a brick wall.”