Antisocial behaviour in hotspots across the county has fallen by 36.7 per cent as Cumbria Police puts on more patrols. 

The year-on-year fall comes as the constabulary puts on extra police patrols in 18 different areas as part of Operation Enhance. 

Since the operation started three months ago, more than 720 hours of additional patrols have been undertaken in these hotspots and officers have made 33 arrests.

115 stop and searches have been conducted, 309 intelligence submissions have been submitted and ASB powers have been used on 11 occasions.

T/Chief Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: “Three months into this operation and what we are seeing is a tangible and significant impact on antisocial behaviour and instances of serious violence in the targeted communities.

“Whilst the primary purpose of the operation is increased visibility, I am proud that officers are also swift to respond to breaking incidents in their locality. Their swift actions is resulting in people who negatively impact their own communities via drugs offences or shoplifting being arrested and taken to custody.

“Our hotspot patrol officers on the ground are feeding back the positivity they are seeing on the ground – from praise for action taken against youths to shopkeepers reporting seeing a reduction in shoplifting."

Operation Enhance has been made possible through £1 million of extra funding that was secured by Cumbria's Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner.

The areas have been identified by analysis of the county's hotspot  areas of anti-social behaviour and serious violence. 

The hotspots are in Carlisle, Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven, Kendal, Penrith, Maryport, Cleator Moor, Ulverston and Bowness-on-Windermere.

Commissioner David Allen, said: “Tackling anti-social behaviour is one of my key priorities and is also a public priority highlighted to me by the public in my recent Police, Fire and Crime Survey. It will be the number one priority in my forthcoming Police, Fire and Crime Plan.

“Tackling crime is the priority but I also want to see the wider effects less crime has on our great county. I want our residents and visitors to feel safer, to see less criminal or nuisance behaviour and to have growing trust in their policing services."