SaferMK launched a week of action in New Bradwell and Stantonbury yesterday (25/01/2010), aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour and offering reassurance to residents, as part of Operation Confidence.

The neighbourhood policing team will be joined by community safety wardens, parish wardens and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, to host a week of crime prevention and community engagement events in New Bradwell and Stantonbury, incorporating Bradville, Bluebridge, Bancroft and Bancroft Park.

The neighbourhood is a very safe place to live, crime rates are low and, in recent months, reports of anti-social behaviour have also fallen. However, there is concern that the estates of Bluebridge, Bancroft and Bancroft Park are not as actively engaged with the police or the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) as they could be.

The police have made a ‘Pledge’ to all residents, which includes a commitment to seeking residents views about local priorities and making sure they know who their local officers are and how to contact them. In order to improve the situation, police will aim to visit every house on these estates in order to discuss any issues.

Community safety wardens and parish wardens will also be concentrating their efforts in the neighbourhood and will be addressing any fly tipping, litter and landscaping issues.

During the week, the local neighbourhood policing team will be seeking to engage with other groups, and undertaking engagement activity with Year 9 pupils at Stantonbury Campus. This will focus on the dangers of knife crime and gang membership. Although this sort of crime is rare in the area, the police and its partners are determined to create a community which is safe for young people as possible. In the spring of 2009 there were some isolated incidents of robberies being committed on young people in the estates after school closing time. This was quickly brought under control, but any crimes of this nature are unacceptable and police will be educating the school pupils about the consequences of committing a robbery and what effect it has on the victim.

The police’s focus will also be on engaging with groups to ensure they know who their neighbourhood team are and how they can get involved in solving problems within their community. To assist this process the mobile police station will be use in some key locations including the High Street, New Bradwell; Post Office, Bradwell Road and Stantonbury shops. The mobile police station will also be used at some of the smaller schools within the neighbourhood and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Exhibition vehicle will be located at two venues, providing information and advice on fire safety.

Neighbourhood Insp Richard North said: “Operation Confidence is designed to do exactly what it says: ensure local people feel confident that police and partners are tackling local issues that matter to local people. The campaign focuses on improving relationships between officers and residents, as it has been noted a number of the estates do not actively engage with us or the NAG.

“By engaging with residents and improving local relationships, we will hopefully break down any existing barriers and residents will tell us about any concerns they have and will work with us to improve confidence and safety in the area.”

Benedict Cordy, SaferMK Communications Officer, said: “Operation Confidence is a great example of some of the work being carried out by our partners to make our city a safer place to live. It also gives the public a great opportunity to ask questions and communicate with all the organisations involved. This is the fourth time Operation Confidence has been carried out in Milton Keynes and we will be conducting more operations throughout the year.”

Operation Confidence aims to reduce and detect offences of anti-social behaviour across the Thames Valley and various activities and weeks of action will be taking place across Milton Keynes during this campaign to reduce anti-social behaviour across the neighbourhoods.