Activities by the Safer Dewsbury team, March to May 2022

Safer Dewsbury

Safer Dewsbury is a multi-agency team created by the council at the launch of the Dewsbury Blueprint in February 2019.

Ask for Angela

A new scheme to provide protection for anyone, male or female, who feels threatened, worried or unsafe when out socialising..  Council officers have been visiting pubs, bars and other late night venues to encourage take-up of ‘Ask  for Angela’ - a very simple, yet effective, scheme to reduce or prevent sexual violence and  vulnerability. 

Click here to download and print

Anyone who feels threatened, unsafe or finds themselves in a frightening situation can approach staff at the venue and 'Ask for Angela’.  

This code-word signals they need help to get out of the situation and staff are asked to assist by  providing a safe space or assistance getting home. 

All venues visited were receptive to joining the scheme. All staff are to be advised of the process  and posters were given to each venue.

If you find yourself needing help - just Ask for Angela

Anti-Social Behaviour

While anti-social behaviour had previously been reduced after lengthy support from relevant council officers there has been a sharp increase recently in the town centre and Daisy Hill areas. This appears to originate with a number of individuals who are new to the area .  Arrangements are being made to deploy specialist officers to deal with this situation.

Road Safety

There has been an increase recently of complaints by community groups and on social media about dangerous driving in their areas. Safer Kirklees have looked at examples of best practice  elsewhere in West Yorkshire and invested in new and innovative technology to help with this problem.  

Smiley SID

Informing drivers and the community of risky speed behaviour, the ‘Smiley SID’ is a portable,  lightweight radar activated Speed Indication Display that can be used at temporary locations for community or school operations. This in turn can inform the council’s highway and road safety  teams where they may wish to look at additional road safety measures.  

The device provides a non-confrontational warning to drivers, warning them of their speed via an  LED display and putting social pressure on them to decrease speed when required

Speedwatch

The new SpeedWatch system is a compact radar device specially developed for use by  Community SpeedWatch teams. 

Vehicle speeds are displayed on-screen, accompanied by green/amber/red coloured bands that  indicate the target vehicles speed in relation to national police guidelines. 

Both devices record data from each operation in a format which is compatible with WYP and  Kirklees Highways systems. 

The equipment has now been received and the Road Safety Partnership have agreed to coordinate an  programme of deployment. 

Safer Kirklees will also identify a number of  opportunities for prevention and education work with Primary schools utilising existing contacts  from previous road safety initiatives. 

Bus Station

During the last Day of Action, the Safer Dewsbury team including WY Police and the detached Youth Team visited the bus station due  to reports of persistent youth-related anti-social behaviour.  Drivers, staff and passengers felt  threatened and intimidated by large groups of youths on most evenings. A number of actions were  agreed by partners 

  • Continue Problem Solving Investigation at key times to dissuade ASB and identify individuals.
  • Investigation of criminal reports linked to Bus Station/Arriva Buses 
  • Deployment of an Arriva Trojan bus with plain clothes officers. 
  • Arriva/Metro to provide CCTV of incidents/individuals to police. 
  • Identified offenders to be referred for potential ASB/tenancy action. 
  • Safer Kirklees CESOs to visit Bus Station regularly to speak to security staff/drivers/cleaners  etc to gather intelligence and refer through police portal. 
  • Detached Youth Team to visit Bus Station four times per week to engage with young people. Since the meeting a number of outcomes have been achieved; 
  • Several arrests linked to bus station have been made with bail conditions not to enter the  station. 
  • Approximately 25 Acceptable Behaviour Orders have been given to key individuals
  • Banning Orders for all of the above are being considered by bus station management.
  • Tenancy warnings are being issued to all the above in Local Authority Housing.
  • Trojan Bus was deployed at key times.

Problems still persist at the station, although not to the previous extent. The above actions will  continue until the issue is resolved