CUMBRIA Police is running a ‘Week of Action’ across the county, with operations running every day targeting issues such as antisocial driving, shoplifting and other community issues.

The activity being undertaken has been made possible, in part, thanks to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s pledge which secured additional funding for the recruitment of an additional 25 police officers dedicated to community policing.

An increase in officers dedicated to neighbourhood policing, combined with the launch of ‘Local Focus Hubs’ is putting community issues to the top of the agenda.

With around 100 PCSOs dedicated to neighbourhood policing around the county, the Constabulary is increasing the resources it dedicates to key issues including antisocial behaviour, road safety, and a visible policing deterrent on the streets.

Alongside this, Local Focus Hubs are beginning their work, often based out of police stations.

Neighbourhood policing will be delivered by these Hubs, with six around the county – two in North Cumbria, two in West Cumbria and two in South Cumbria.

The Hubs allow different agencies – police, council, housing, fire and more – to come together and work side by side to find solutions when specific issues are raised.

The Local Focus Hubs are to be supported by the launch of six Local Focus Facebook groups which will offer the public the opportunity to liaise directly with a number of agencies, including the police, in one place.

Hubs are now in place in across the county including South Lakeland (based at Kendal Police Station) and Barrow (based at Barrow Police Station).

Barrow Local Focus Hub and Neighbourhood Inspector, Jim Bailey said: “The Local Focus Hub, which covers the whole of Barrow and Furness area, brings together key partner agencies and other third sector groups that provide services to support our local community. Located in the Barrow Police Station, the Hub provide us with the opportunity to pool expertise and further work together to find joint solutions to what can be some extremely complex issues.

“Together with Adult Social Care, Housing Options, the NHS, Cumbria County Council, Children’s Services, NWAS, Cumbria Fire Service and a number of third party voluntary or charitable organisations, we are working hard to tackle issues that are important to the community, to make Barrow a safer and more positive place to live and work. One of the key objectives of The Local Focus Hub is that the partnership deal with community issues more quickly and look to address the underlying causes."

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: “I am delighted to see the Local Focus Hubs being implemented across the county. Getting together with our partners and other agencies in the local communities to help tackle and resolve issues in those communities, is such an effective way to work and everyone benefits from that. The Hubs are already starting achieve results, as these examples show.

“When I asked the public for an increase in council tax precept I said it would go on additional officers to increase visibility which is what people tell me they want, I do not make promises lightly but I did on this and together with the constabulary we have delivered. I wish we had even more resource but, working together with the public and all the other agencies in the county, we can keep Cumbria safe.”