Community safety partners have taken part in a fact-finding visit to the North Tyneside coast aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour.
Senior figures from North Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police, and Nexus marked the first day of spring with a walkabout in Cullercoats and Tynemouth, where they met with community representatives to discuss their warm weather action plan.
The agencies work together to keep the beaches, Metro network, and coastal communities safe, and will team up again in April to launch Operation Coastwatch and build on the success of previous years.
The number of reported incidents of antisocial behaviour at the coast has fallen by 13% over three years, with incidents dropping from 724 in 2020/2021 to 630 in 2022/2023.
There were almost 2.5 million visits to Tynemouth, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay, and the North Shields Fish Quay between April and September 2022.
Fewer than two incidents of antisocial behaviour per 10,000 visits to the coast were recorded in August 2022.
The partners are determined to maintain the downward trend.
Their efforts have been bolstered by the creation of a new ASB Taskforce, overseen by North Tyneside’s Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn in response to concerns around public safety.
She said: “North Tyneside is a safe place to live work and visit, and our crime rate is statistically lower than other areas in the region area and other comparable areas across England.
“We have listened to our residents, and we are using the experience of previous summers to plan our activities well in advance. As the Easter holidays approach, we know that warm weather can bring additional challenges and by working together we will make sure that our coast and open spaces remain safe and enjoyable for all.
“We have seen real progress in the last few summers, but we are not going to be complacent, and it is very important that we are prepared well in advance for whatever the warmer weather brings.”
As in previous years, Operation Coastwatch will include extra foot patrols, preventative work at Metros to disrupt and stop any disorder before it reaches communities, and beach wardens to monitor coastal activity.
Council staff will patrol the beaches to monitor against litter and antisocial behaviour and the Community and Public Space Protection Team will work alongside Northumbria Police colleagues to provide reassurance to local people.
Community groups such as Cullercoats Collective and Totally Tynemouth will provide support and be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the partnership.
Officers will gather cross-agency intelligence on anyone found to be taking part in criminality or disorder as well as carrying out modified CCTV plans to best utilise resources and capture disorder for prosecutions.
Northern Area Command Superintendent Kevin Waring said: “We know that the anti-social behaviour of a few can have a detrimental impact on our communities and that’s why we run dedicated operations with our partners all year round to minimise incidents and tackle any disorder head-on.
“In North Tyneside specifically, we will be re-launching the very successful Operation Maple next week which reaped some fantastic results in its infancy last year. This sees uniformed and plain-clothed officers riding the Metro network during busy periods in our coastal areas to provide a visible policing presence, offering reassurance to the public and swiftly dealing with any pockets of disorder.
“Then in the coming months, we will again be supporting Operation Coastwatch - which is an incredibly successful long-standing partnership with the council and Nexus which has helped reduce anti-social behaviour rates year on year.
“These operations will be supported by our Maritime Policing Unit, who also play an invaluable role, using their expertise on the water to quickly attend incidents and keep people safe.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their ongoing support, and by working together, we can continue to effectively tackle anti-social behaviour and minimise criminality in our coastal areas and at our transport hubs.”
Managing Director of Nexus, Martin Kearney, said: “Keeping Metro safe and secure for customers is our top priority, and we look forward to continuing our excellent work alongside Northumbria police and North Tyneside Council to reduce anti-social behaviour and fare evasion.
“Metro is popular for days out at the coast, especially in the summer, and our stations in North Tyneside are a major gateway into the borough. We want people to be able to enjoy the coast and use our services without facing any issues.
“Our Customer Support Teams and Security Teams will be working alongside the police through Operation Coastwatch to deal with anti-social behaviour and deal with any troublemakers.
“We invest £1m a year on Metro police every year, and we have spent a further £1m on dedicated security teams to patrol the network at night. We have made great progress, and these efforts will continue to reduce rates of anti-social behaviour in our communities and keep the Tyne and Wear Metro safe.”