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Cockermouth and Keswick

In this months newsletter you will read about some of the things the team have been doing this month. In November and December we continued to see extra patrols targeting anti-social behaviour and serious violence as part of Operation Enhance.  These are extra patrols funded by money secured by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to target anti-social behaviour and violence in hotspot areas. This month we also supported anti-social behaviour week and below you will read what ourselves and partners did during the week to highlight the work we do all year round. Inspector Pete Aiston

Anti-social behaviour week 

As part of anti-social behaviour week (18-24 November)  of action partners from the local focus hubs in Cumberland worked together to speak to residents and identify problems.

ASB is a priority for Cumbria Constabulary and as such Operation Enhance, which sees extra patrols in areas identified as hotspots for ASB, continues.

The operation sees extra patrols in 18 areas identified by statistical analysis as the county's hotspot areas of anti-social behaviour and serious violence. These areas include areas of Carlisle, Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven, Kendal, Penrith, Maryport, Cleator Moor, Ulverston and Bowness-on-Windermere.

As well as providing high-visibility patrols, these officers also proactively respond to criminality and safeguarding issues that arise in their patrol locality.

As a result of work carried out by local officers and the high visibility patrols from Op Enhance, Cumbria has seen a reduction in ASB by 17.2% from April 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023.

During the week of action, Allerdale NPT supported partner agencies through the local focus hub, in reaching out to residents in Workington and Maryport to provide advice and support regarding ASB and other issues residents were experiencing.

The team met with licensee’s in Maryport to discuss implementation of a new Pub Watch initiative. 

Local PCSOs were also out on high visibility patrols at night in hotspot areas with the aim to reduce ASB and help residents feel safer.

Operation Enhance Four months in and Operation Enhance has so far resulted in 143 stop and searches, 358 intel submissions from the public and 43 arrests. Op Enhance sees extra police patrols in areas identified as hotspots for anti-social behaviour and/or serious violence across the county. The operation has been made possible thanks to £1 million of extra funding secured by Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner from the Government’s Hotspot Response Fund to target anti-social behaviour (ASB) and serious violence in hotspot areas across the county. The operation sees extra patrols in 18 areas identified by statistical analysis as the county's hotspot areas of anti-social behaviour and serious violence. As part of the operation, the public is encouraged to report antisocial behaviour by visiting the constabulary’s website https://orlo.uk/gKvGc or our non-emergency number 101. In an emergency always call 999. Information and intelligence from the public is vital so we can work together to tackle issues in their communities. Find out more about Operation Enhance: https://orlo.uk/ec9p7

Anti-social behaviour patrols Keswick On 9 December, we were on patrol in Keswick Town centre following a number of reports of young people acting in an anti-social manner. Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and youths found acting in this manner will be dealt with robustly. We will continue to pro-actively patrol these areas. If you are experiencing any form of anti social behaviour please report it.

You said, we did Residents of Papcastle are being subjected to anti-social behaviour by young people and there is daily drug use in the village. As a result we did High visibility patrols conducted Local schools engaged with to identify the youths involved Leaflet drops by our local PCSO Education meetings with the youths identified to educate them on the consequences of their behaviour and the impact their behaviour is having on the community.

Remembrance day 2024

Officers and PCSOs from Allerdale NPT supported Remembrance Day parades across Silloth, Aspatria, Maryport, Workington, Cockermouth and Keswick. A big thank you to our Special Constables who also turned out to service parades as well.

It was good to see so many people come and support the parades, great community spirit shown across all areas.

It was an honour to lay a wreath at all the Cenotaphs and memorials.

Christmas party at Victoria Court  On 11 December, PCSO Clare Parker has been along to Victoria Court Christmas Party and Christmas Quiz. Lots of fun had by all and we even sang some Christmas songs.

Road safety talk Dean School

On 29 November,  PCSO Clare Parker went into Dean school to talk to the pupils about Road Safety. There was lots of good questions asked.

• Always wear your seatbelt.
• Find a safe place to cross the road.
• Don't cross in between parked vehicles.
• Be seen in the dark, wear bright colours.

A day with PC Shona Pattinson  A day with PC Shona Pattinson on 18 November... Whilst on enquiries in Keswick, a vehicle was stopped and the driver reported for no insurance. The vehicle had been uninsured since September 2024. Patrols in the evening were conducted in Papcastle, following reports of anti-social behvaiour and drug use in the area. Finally! Response patrols were assisted in Whitehaven, following a disturbance in the street, where several arrests were made.

On 15 November, PC Shona Pattinson and PC Catherine Higson attended the Keswick Christmas lights switch on in the evening, in between responding to calls for service with their colleagues.

What a wonderful atmosphere which was clearly enjoyed by all.

Cockermouth PCSOs Megan Jones and Dan Snell attended the light switch on in Cockermouth on 17 November.  Their day was made when they got to meet Santa...and he might of helped them with sharing who's on the naughty list!

On 3 December, officers from Cumbria Constabulary’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams celebrated their success and were recognised for their hard work at the annual Neighbourhood Policing Awards.

The awards were presented to officers and PCSOs during Cumbria Constabulary’s Neighbourhood Policing Conference on 2 December.

Seven awards were presented by Neighbourhood Policing lead, Chief Superintendent Andy Wilkinson, to recognise the individual’s contribution towards neighbourhood policing over the past year.

Three officers from Allerdale NPT won awards:

• Cumberland PCSO of the Year – PCSO Rachel Pape

PCSO Rachel Pape was recognised for her outstanding contribution within the Workington community. Over the past year she has been building relationships with local residents and businesses and supporting them if they become a victim of crime.

As a result of her dedication and hard work, anti-social behaviour has reduced in Workington by 29% this year.

• Cumberland Neighbourhood Policing Officer of the Year – PC Catherine Higson

PC Catherine Higson was awarded NPT officer of the year in recognition of her determination to provide victims of crime with the best outcome. She is committed to providing a safer neighbourhood for residents and works with victims of crime to provide support and reassurance

As part of her role, PC Higson has worked with local shops and businesses in Workington to deal with repeat ASB offenders.

• Neighbourhood Policing Leadership Award - Sgt Neil McKinnell

Sergeant Neil McKinnell, of the Workington NPT, was recognised for his leadership qualities while inspiring his team and making sure they are always supported.

Sgt McKinnell has been able to work on complex cases and address long standing disputes by providing problem solving solutions which has improved our service to the community.

Read more: https://orlo.uk/5vLzu

StreetSafe is a service that allows you to report safety concerns in public places without giving us your name. This includes issues like poorly lit streets, abandoned buildings, or vandalism, as well as instances where you feel unsafe due to someone following or verbally abusing you. Report an issue here: StreetSafe | Cumbria Police

Upcoming community
police events 🚓

📌 Cockermouth library Main Street Cockermouth
📆 Tue 17 December 2024
⏰ 11:00AM - 12:00PM

For more information, please visit our website and enter your postcode in the Your Area section.

Have you ever thought about being a police officer, special constable, PCSO or staff member?

Could you be make a real difference to people in Cumbria and help keep them safe?

Recruitment is open now. We are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to apply now to join our teams.

For more information on the role of a police officer and the numerous entry routes, please visit www.cumbria.police.uk/careers.

Wanted this winter – public appeal launched for wanted people across Cumbria

Police in Cumbria are appealing for information from the public on the location of twelve wanted people.

The public appeal has been launched as part of ongoing action across the county to progress investigations with the aim of ensuring those who commit crimes in this county are brought to justice.

Detective Inspector Dave Howard, Cumbria Constabulary, said:

“We would like the public’s help in locating the twelve individuals who feature as part of this appeal.

“The appeals are connected to ongoing investigations covering a range of crimes.

“Each day, our officers and staff ensure those who are wanted in connection with offences are identified and located so we can progress investigations.

“Public information has, and always will be important in assisting our work to ensure we secure justice for victims.

“People in Cumbria know where these individuals are. Please pick up the phone and contact Cumbria Police or do so anonymously via Crimestoppers.”   Read more here.

90 Op Merlin arrests made in in past 12 months as officers continue to target wanted individuals Wanted men, shoplifters and those involved in the supply of drugs were just some of those arrested during Cumbria Police’s most recent Operation Merlin week of action. Operation Merlin ran across Cumbria between 9 December and 13 December, resulting in 18 arrests across the county. This week’s arrests took the total Operation Merlin arrest figure for 2024 to 90 arrests. Read more here.

Drink and drug drivers be warned – expect to be tested and arrested this Christmas Police officers will be scouring the roads of Cumbria in the lead-up to the Christmas party season and testing and arresting drivers who puts lives at risk behind the wheel. This time last year, Cumbria Police promised to test hundreds of drivers for drink and drugs throughout December. This promise was kept as more than 1,800 drivers were stopped and more than 1,300 tested for drink or drug driving. A total of 130 arrests were made as a result – and officers are expecting a similar picture in 2024. Read more here.

Specialist patrols will offer reassurance and catch offenders in nightlife areas at Christmas

Police are responding to concerns felt by women and girls – by sending out specialist patrols to offer reassurance and catch offenders in busy nightlife areas during the festive party season.

More high-visibility officers will be out in the run-up to Christmas, while police in plain clothes will also be deployed to identify anyone displaying inappropriate or predatory behaviour.

The move follows concerns raised in a survey carried out by police to hear more from women and girls on how they felt about their own personal safety.

Feeling safe in the night-time economy was raised as a key worry, leading to an extra focus on violence against women and girls. Read more here. 

Enquiries ongoing following incidents of spiking reported to police Detectives are asking those out over the festive period to be vigilant after three incidents of spiking were reported to officers over the weekend. The reports were of an unknown substance being added to drinks in Whitehaven, with a woman and two men affected. The report also follows two reports made the previous weekend in Whitehaven. Enquiries are ongoing, with detectives reviewing CCTV and looking at forensic opportunities. We are also aware of social media posts circulating regarding needle spiking, no reports have been made to police but we encourage anyone believed to have been spiked to report it to police. Detective Inspector Calvin Greaves from Cumberland CID said “We are asking people to be vigilant whilst out over the festive period and report any incident to us so we can investigate.    “Spiking is an awful act, whatever the intention, the outcome is leaving individuals vulnerable and feeling unsafe. “We would ask that if you believe they have been a victim of spiking to contact us. “We will investigate regardless of when the offence is believed to have occurred. “Reporting offences of this nature is at times a daunting prospect and we recognise the significant trauma spiking has on victims and help and support for this can be offered and signposted by speaking to officers.” Read more here.

This follows a report made to police yesterday in which the victim was contacted by the fraudster claiming to be from her bank and that their bank card had expired, and she is due to be issued a new one.

The following day a male attending the victims address in Barrow and introduced himself as a police officer who needed to carry out fingerprint checks on her cards. He also offered to take her jewellery for safekeeping.

The male left with the cards and later posted them back through the door after having made a number of transactions with the cards.

The scams fit the pattern of fraudsters pretending to be officials, such as bank fraud teams, police officers or HMRC officials.

However, the scams can differ slightly from call to call.

But the fraudsters often request bank details, money to be sent electronically, cash to be withdrawn at the bank for collection or expensive items to be bought for collection at a later time.

Police and other agencies would never request this.

If you have any concern that the person on the phone may be a fraudster, put the phone down and call the police from a different phone on 101 for advice and guidance.

Officers are asking anyone who has been victim to such a scam to come forward.

If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that your bank, other agencies and the police would:

Never ask you for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone.

Never ask you to withdraw money and send it to them via a courier, taxi, bank transfer or by any other means.

Never ask you to send your bank cards or any other personal property to them via courier, taxi or by any other means.

If you have any doubts about the identity of the person that you are speaking with, put the phone down and attend the bank or police station in person, wherever possible, to discuss the call you have received, or call a trusted number for the bank or police using a different telephone than the one that you have been contacted on.

It’s recommended you wait at least five minutes and make sure you can hear a dialling tone before you call, as there have been cases of fraudsters keeping the line open after a victim has hung up.

We ask that the public please share this information with any vulnerable friends or family.

Please report any incidents of crime or anti-social behaviour to us, to help us keep Cumbria safe.

If a crime is in progress always call 999.

You can report online at https://www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it

Our online Live Chat function is a new service giving you an alternative way to communicate with a Police Officer in real time.  More here.

You can also phone on 101.
Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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