On Saturday 4 March I held my twelfth coffee morning on anti-social behaviour and policing at Kepier Hall. Almost seventy local residents came along and shared their views on issues affecting our community, and it was great to be joined by PC Simon Watson who addressed some of the concerns raised about anti-social behaviour.

A variety of topics were discussed during the event, including the resources available to police to tackle anti-social behaviour, problems relating to parking, traffic and motorbike activity, and the visibility of local police officers.

A recurring theme throughout these discussions was the financial pressures on policing, education and local government. Cuts to services present a number of challenges in relation to tackling anti-social behaviour, from making it more difficult to organise activities for young people, to ensuring the police have a strong presence in our community to deter disorder. I can assure you that I will continue to raise these issues in Parliament, and make the case for greater investment in important public services

It is clear that Northumbria Police are working hard to tackle anti-social behaviour, and they welcome engagement with local communities to address this problem. Local residents are encouraged to make use of the non-emergency 101 number, or Police and Community Together (PACT) meetings to ensure the police are fully aware of problems in your community. You can find details of future PACT meetings via the following link: https://www.northumbria.police.uk/search/?q=pact

If you would like to read more on the points we discussed during this coffee morning, or would be interested in attending a future event, please email me at bridget.phillipson.mp@parliament.uk with your contact details.