Drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour targeted in new crime blitz

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2003

Councillor Serge Lourie, Leader of the Opposition on Richmond upon Thames Council

A-24-hour-long anti-crime offensive will take place in Richmond Town Centre on Friday this week (18 July), with drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour among the problems targeted.

The initiative, which starts at midnight on Thursday, is part of Operation Cleansweep, a Council and police drive aimed at combating anti-social behaviour and reducing the fear of crime.

The initiative will tackle problems such as graffiti, litter, illegal dumping, offensive behaviour, fare-dodging, and under-age drinking.

This is the fifth Cleansweep out of ten planned for the borough this year.

The operation has been masterminded by the Community Safety Partnership, involving the Council, police and various other agencies. It will concentrate on high visibility policing and enforcement.

The crime prevention officer and the Council's community safety officers will also be marking mobile phones, selling personal alarms and marker pens and issuing a wide variety of crime prevention literature.

The crime prevention trailer will be located outside Tesco's in George Street between 11am and 4pm.

The Council's Chief Executive, Gillian Norton, who chairs the Community Safety Partnership, said:

"Cleansweep is an important initiative which aims to improve safety in our borough.

"We want people to come to Richmond to enjoy themselves. However, anti-social behaviour fuelled by alcohol is one problem that does increase throughout the capital during the summer months. With temperatures rising, the need for considerate and responsible drinking is even more important and, together with the police, we will be targeting loutish or nuisance behaviour wherever it occurs.

"Cleansweep underlines our determination to combat such problems and generally reduce the fear of crime," she added.

"I very much welcome the collaboration between the police, the council and other agencies."

Richmond is a wonderful place to spend an evening and is a magnet for people from all over London and indeed the world. It is important that the activities of a few antisocial people do not spoil a night out for the many."

Councillor Serge Lourie, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition