Operation Dry Stone begins in Milton Keynes |
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2 June 2008 A high-profile operation to target anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime in West Bletchley, Furzton and The Shenleys has been launched. Operation Dry Stone was launched on 30 May and will run every weekend until the middle of September 2008. It aims to deter young people from causing trouble over the summer months. Police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) will carry out high-visibility, directed patrols in West Bletchley, Furzton and The Shenleys. They will target known hotspots where large groups of young people congregate. Anyone under-18 caught with alcohol will have it confiscated. Inspector Paul Bradford said: “During the warmer weather last year, we had a number of problems in these areas, with large groups of young people coming together. “The problems were prominent around local shops and parks, and incidents of anti-social behaviour increased.” He continued: “Local residents felt very strongly about what was happening in their area and we have listened to their concerns. We are determined that there won’t be a repeat of last summer’s problems and we are taking a robust approach to deal with anti-social behaviour identified by local residents.” Officers will also operate the ‘red and yellow card’ scheme to crackdown on bad behaviour. If somebody is issued with a yellow card, their details will be taken and recorded on a database. A letter will be sent to their parents or guardians, letting them know that their child has been given a warning by a police officer. If they commit a further offence under the scheme within six months, they will be issued with a red card. The red card is a final warning and any further reported incidents against them could result in them being served with an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO). |