Jaywick: Hotspot patrols underway to combat anti-social behaviour

A new patrolling hotspot has been established in Jaywick as part of a countywide operation to combat anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Police and Tendring District Council’s community ambassadors are carrying out dedicated patrols following complaints about vandalism, issues related to drugs and alcohol, motorbike noise and fly tipping.

ASB has fallen by 47.9% across Tendring in the last 12 months with 1,064 fewer incidents reported compared to the previous year. All crime in the district is down by 11.3%.

There were 375 incidents of ASB reported in Jaywick between January 2022 and January 2023.

Eleven ASB hotspots, including one on Clacton’s Percy King estate, were announced last July following a £1.1m investment by Essex’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner under Operation Dial.

Jaywick was one of two hotspots added at the turn of the year.

Police and council partners have already completed more than 10,000 hours of patrolling since the operation was launched.

In the first six months, officers on Dial patrols across the 13 zones made 75 arrests, issued 60 fixed penalty notices, gave 151 informal warnings, and conducted 232 stop searches.

High harm crime like violence and sexual offences are down by more than 40% in those areas.

Across the two Tendring zones so far, there have been four arrests, 10 stop searches, eight informal warnings given, and five fixed penalty notices issued.

Inspector Aaron Homatopoulos of Clacton Community Policing Team said his officers are working closely with the council to make sure Jaywick is a safe and peaceful place to live.

“Having a Dial zone means we have a regular, visible police presence in the area. This is big contributing factor to reducing crime and ASB.

“Previously, we’ve had issues with abusive behaviour, youths breaking windows, people feeling intimidated by large groups congregating, and concerns about drug dealing and alcohol abuse.

“We’ve got a strong relationship with the council as part of the Community Safety Partnership and we’re doing joint patrols to show the public we are working together to solve problems. It’s not all about enforcement and making arrests, it’s about looking at ways we can all improve everyone’s quality of life.”

Inspector Homatopoulos’ team are taking part in a week of action in Jaywick alongside council colleagues from the 18^th March. He wants to encourage as many locals as possible to say hello and share their issues or concerns.

He said: “Jaywick has a strong community spirit and the reaction to the patrols has been very positive. People have told us they find it reassuring to see officers out on foot.

“We are there to engage with people and we want them to tell us what their problems are. If you are experiencing or have witnessed ASB, speak to us when we’re on patrol, ring us, or report online via the Essex Police or council websites. The more information we have, the more we can do to help.”

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