Op Centurion delivers over 14,000 additional policing hours in ASB crackdown

Op Centurion, launched by Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden to get tough on anti-social behaviour (ASB), has seen officers walk the beat for an additional 14,000 hours in hotspots across Lancashire in its first six months of action.

Since launching in July 2023, officers have attended 1,378 incidents, carried out over 3,300 stop checks, over 640 stop searches and made upwards of 140 arrests.

Extra hotspot patrols were initially announced for six areas of Lancashire following the Commissioner’s successful bid to secure £2m worth of funding from Government. This was then rolled out to an additional eight areas, meaning dedicated ASB hotspot patrols are now being carried out in every district across the county.

To support Op Centurion, residents are being encouraged to report anti-social behaviour to the relevant authorities which can be found at a dedicated website – LancashireTacklingASB.co.uk. Residents can also sign up to our two way messaging service, InTheKnow https://www.stayintheknow.co.uk/ and share their concerns with our officers through Lancashire Talking which is a short survey about issues in your area.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said:

“The roll out of Op Centurion across Lancashire has had a monumental impact in cracking down on anti-social behaviour. The results speak for themselves, and the additional policing hours are clearly having an impact in local neighbourhoods.

“Anti-social behaviour is a blight on our communities and an issue that residents raise with me time and time again, which is why I have made it a priority in my Fighting Crime Plan for Lancashire.

“We know that there is still more to do but I am committed to working closely with the Chief Constable to ensure that the Constabulary is in the best possible position to continue the crackdown on anti-social behaviour and keep law abiding Lancashire residents safe.”

Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards said:

“Anti-social behaviour has a profound impact on people’s lives. It makes them feel unsafe in their homes and community spaces and is completely unacceptable. Op Centurion was launched at the beginning of July 2023 and we have seen great success across the hotspot areas but we know we have more work to. We are committed to continue to tackle ASB issues including criminal damage, intimidating and aggressive behaviour and drug dealing throughout Lancashire.

Ultimately, if you are experiencing ASB we need you to report it, to give us and our partner agencies the opportunity to put a stop to it and continue to see positive results.”