Operation to tackle teenage troublemakers on Wearside hailed

An operation to tackle teenage troublemakers who were tormenting their communities has been hailed as a success – with crime rates plummeting.

Today (Thursday 21st January) marks the one-year anniversary since Operation Avalanche was launched in Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring following a spike in youth disorder.

The initiative, spearheaded by the neighbourhood policing team and ran in partnership with Sunderland City Council, followed concerns raised by residents about the behaviour of some youngsters who had been running roughshod over the area.

Since then, following some excellent proactive policing, anti-social behaviour reports have dropped by up to 30 per cent and youth disorder specifically has almost halved in the area.

Over the last 12 months, officers have dealt with more than 50 teenagers believed to be associated with anti-social behaviour in the area.

Police have worked together with the council’s anti-social behaviour team and housing providers to make home visits to suspects and their parents, with some persistent offenders reported for public order offences.

They have also used civil legislation to ban large groups from congregating in problem areas, especially on evenings and weekends, and delivered educational sessions in local primary and secondary schools.

Today, marking the one-year milestone, Inspector Nick Gjorven hailed the impact of Operation Avalanche but insisted nobody is getting complacent about the positive results.

He said:

“We are one year on since the launch of Operation Avalanche and the overwhelming feedback has been positive – which supports our crime figures; anti-social behaviour and specifically youth disorder has markedly decreased.

“We are fiercely passionate about this area and incredibly proud to serve the communities who live here.

“We know that the anti-social behaviour of a minority can have a significant impact on the public and can make some of our most vulnerable residents feel frightened or anxious in their own homes.

“That’s why Operation Avalanche was set up – to identify those responsible for committing anti-social behaviour, to put an immediate stop to it, and prevent it from happening in the future.

“It has made a significant difference. Between November 2020 and this month, we have seen a 30 per cent overall reduction in anti-social behaviour reports in the Hetton and Houghton areas, with youth disorder specifically reducing by 41 per cent compared to the previous eight-week period.”

The spotlight shone on Hetton earlier this week after a number of windows were smashed at Hetton Interchange between 4am and 5am on Tuesday (January 19).

An investigation has been launched into that particular incident, and anyone found to be responsible will be dealt with firmly and appropriately.

Insp Gjorven added:

“While the figures all show a welcome reduction, the unacceptable criminal damage on Tuesday reiterates the need to maintain this momentum and continue to work hard to tackle this type of offending.

“Our message to the public is one of reassurance – we will not be complacent, we have targeted patrols in place to target hotspots or any crime trends, and we will take robust action against those who undermine the fabric of our communities.

“We would ask the public to always report any incidents to us, raise concerns with us, and together we can continue to ensure the Hetton and Houghton areas are a safe place to live and work.”

Leader of Sunderland City Council and Chair of the Safer Sunderland Partnership, Cllr Graeme Miller, urged residents to continue to report any incidents of anti-social behaviour to police.

He said:

“We are continuing to work with Northumbria Police and the community to ensure action is taken against the minority of individuals who break the law whether it is vandalism and anti-social behaviour or other criminal acts.

“We would urge residents to continue to report issues as the information they provide can help us take positive action.

“We understand that it can be daunting for residents to come forward and report anti-social behaviour, but they can do so in complete confidence and with their help we can continue to make communities safer.”

Anyone who sees anti-social behaviour happening in their area are asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the website or by calling 101.

In an emergency or if a crime is happening, always ring 999.