Extra police resources will be put into tackling anti-social behaviour, speeding drivers and nuisance quad bikes, councillors agreed this afternoon.
Members of the Outer West Community Committee agreed to pay £5,920 to pay for extra police cover until late February in Calverley & Farsley, Pudsey and Farnley & Wortley wards.
A Council report said anti-social behaviour has increased 9% based in the past 12 months to nearly 1,500 calls from the community in the three wards.
The report includes 473 reports of nuisance cars, vans, and quad bikes, which includes speeding, inconsiderate parking and general anti-social vehicle use such as revving engines, loud music, tailgating and similar – this is up 8% from last year.
Police aim to deploy a specialist traffic officer and an NPT officer in a traffic car where speeding and dangerous driving. Where there are clusters of anti-social behaviour, either a PCSO, or a PCSO and an NPT officer.
The costings submitted allow for 160 hours of a specialist road traffic officer / police constable and 80 hours of a police community support officer from the ward areas. The overtime deployments will run with immediate effect and finish in late February or early March.
The funding was welcomed by councillors at the meeting held at Leeds Civic Hall this afternoon. Outer West Community Committee chair Cllr Amanda Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farsley) said:
“We have major issues on the A647 Bradford Road with speeding going on through the night. It’s not fair that residents have to put up with the noise and anti-social behaviour.”
Councillors also gave the green light to spend £1,460 towards a project to tackle bike thefts in the three wards.
Councillors heard there had been 148 reported pedal cycle thefts across the wards in the past 12 months – and research suggests three times as many are stolen as are actually reported to the police.
Police will run a series of advice sessions on bike safety and security and will buy 1,000 Selectamark products to be fitted to cycles, meaning if a stolen bicycle is recovered, police can identify the owner.
Cllr Peter Carlill (Lab, Calverley & Farsley) welcomed the initiative, with two similar events being successfully held in Rodley earlier this year.
Councillors also agreed to fund the summer bands in the parks concerts next year to the tune of £3,250. The money will fund two concerts in Farnley Hall Park, three in Pudsey Park, two in Victoria Park, Calverley, two in Western Flatts Cliff Park, Wortley and one in Westroyd Park, Farsley.
Councillors also approved funding for a pilot urban music and arts-based programme for young people in Pudsey who are at risk of anti-social behaviour or crime. They agreed to fund half of the £4,950 asked for by The Music Box.
This has been a problem for a long time, going into and out of Bradford via thornbury roundabout has always been very dodgy, say no more.