Safer Streets Summer initiative sees positive results across Cheshire

Working side by side, the PCC and local officers delivered a coordinated programme of patrols, community engagement and youth prevention activities, aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and building public confidence.

This joint effort demonstrates how strong local leadership, collaboration and visible policing can make a real difference to safety and wellbeing across Cheshire’s towns and villages.

Running from 30 June to 30 September, the Safer Streets Summer initiative was supported by Cheshire Constabulary and the PCC as part of the wider national Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The PCC launched his SWAP Summer Support Fund for youth activities to engage young people with 29 projects across the county benefitting from their share of a £50,000 funding pot.

Alongside this a number of policing operations took place across Cheshire tackling criminality, as well as numerous engagement activities for residents taking place. 

Kicking off on 30 June, Cheshire Police officers and colleagues from the Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner joined community partners, including local councillors, youth services, Environmental Protection Agency, Trading Standards, and Home Office teams for a launch event at Warrington Borough Council.

The day saw the seizure of over 750 illegal vape products that did not adhere to recently introduced legislation, and representatives from Warrington Youth Zone joined beat teams across the town, engaging with members of the public of all ages and familiarising them with the local services on offer to them.

Over the three months:

• The Warrington Victoria Park Experience made a welcome return for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than 6000 children meeting their local police teams across the four events.

• Local summer events (various Pride events, Knutsford Summer Lake party, Nantwich Food Festival, Northwich Pina Colada festival) attended with residents and representatives met and engaged with.
• Pop up policing surgeries in Crewe talking with residents about how to recognise scams.
• Pop up policing surgeries in Ellesmere Port talking with residents about county lines, gang culture and violent crime.
• DNA Tagging Spray at football matches in Cheshire. This specialised spray, only viewable by UV lighting, is now being used by officers as a tool to deter those participating in any anti-social behaviour or disorder before, during and after games.

Nearly 210 independent, supermarket chain and licensed premise staff from Warrington, Chester, and Macclesfield were also surveyed, with all three areas overwhelmingly agreeing that their towns are a safe place to work. The eastern area of the county scored the highest, with 96% of those surveyed agreeing, with Warrington scoring 78% and Chester 73%.

A further 80% of those surveyed in Chester felt confident that if they were to report a crime, Cheshire Police would take it seriously and act upon it promptly – 76% of Macclesfield and Warrington workers also agreed with this statement.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Dan Price said:

"Safer Streets shows what can happen when we all work together for the same goal. Safer, stronger communities. By combining visible policing with real community engagement, we’ve not only tackled crime but built trust and pride in our neighbourhoods. I’m determined to keep this momentum going right across our county.”

Over the course of the summer the Cops on the Square initiative was also rolled out across the county, providing visible policing in our towns and giving the public an opportunity to engage with officers.

Assistant Chief Constable for Neighbourhood Policing Alison Ross said:

“This is just a snapshot of some of the neighbourhood-based police work that our officers did throughout the summer to support the national initiative, protecting our residents and keeping Cheshire a hostile environment for criminals. 

“By working together with our partners, we are able to go further in tackling the issues that matter most to our communities and ensure Cheshire remains a safe place for everyone who lives, works, and visits here.

“We have a real focus on neighbourhood policing in Cheshire and this will now continue as we move into the Autumn and Winter months.

“365 days a year, we are rolling out operational activities across the county to tackle retail crime, street robbery, modern day slavery, immigration crime and anti-social behaviour, issues we recognise sit at the heart of our town centres and local communities.”