A programme designed to tackle anti-social behaviour in Irlam has seen dramatic positive changes in the two years that it has been running.
Anti-social behaviour is something that officers across every district of Greater Manchester deal with every day. ASB can take many forms and thus can require a specifically designed strategy to fully tackle the issue.
In 2021, officers in the Irlam and Cadishead area noticed a rise in the number of juveniles behaving inappropriately and causing issues within the community. This included reports of thefts, burglaries, and a variety of driving offences.
In response, the Irlam neighbourhood team launched a robust, community-led approach which has seen the formation of various groups, clubs, and activities to markedly improve the lives of young people, while seeing ASB figures in the area plummet.
Working with local schools, groups, and Salford Youth Service, the programme was named ‘Reform’ and came with an objective of improving the lives of young people in Irlam and Cadishead.
Officers have taken the time to closely work with individuals and youngsters whom they believed would find Reform most beneficial. This dynamic list is regularly updated, based on new information and intelligence. Each officer in the local neighbourhood team would typically work with around ten youngsters.
Several activities were organised for the young people. Fishing was identified as a distinct interest but there was a lack of local opportunities for in the area. Subsequently, 1-2-1 coaching from qualified angling coaches was organised, with fishing-based therapies delivered for those who took part. Other activities in the community have included boxing sessions, open-days, food initiatives, and more.
The ongoing work has resulted in recorded ASB incidents dropping from when the scheme first launched in 2021. Between that year and 2022, there were 124 less instances of anti-social behaviour, which equates for a 27% decrease.
Moving into 2023, six of the eight months of data recorded so far has shown a decrease. As an example, January 2021 and January 2023 each saw 41 and 17 incidents of ASB respectively – a 59% decrease.
Officers are continuing to engage with youngsters, maintaining the connections and working with further groups and partners in 2024.
PC James Byrne, a neighbourhood officer from GMP’s Salford district, said: “Over the last couple of years, we have been determined to help young people who may otherwise have not had access to activities and resources in their community.
“I am delighted that we have gone from strength-to-strength – we have been able to reduce ASB figures markedly, while improving the lives of young people. By working with multiple partners, we have now assisted dozens of people and helped them turn their lives around.”
