Anti-social behaviour blighting residents’ lives in Beeston has reduced by 31 per cent thanks to a high-visibility operation.
Police launched a brand-new operation following concerns raised by residents and businesses.
Criminal damage, threatening and abusive behaviour and throwing eggs and stones at houses were just some of the reported incidents.
Some of the incidents involved children as young as nine.
Areas of concern included the tram stops, Beeston town centre, Dovecote Lane, and Chilwell Road.
Operation Potassium was launched on Monday, October 31, and is proving a success, with many of the incidents resolved before they escalate.
Officers have taken action against any young person who breaks the law but have also used dispersal orders to prevent them from returning to the area.
Neighbourhood Inspector Mike Ebbins, who covers the Beeston area, said the operation was launched to ensure residents feel safe and that their concerns are being addressed.
He said: “We have acknowledged the concerns raised by businesses and residents and applied a no-nonsense approach.
“At its peak in summer, we had over 200 incidents of anti-social behaviour-related nuisance in our hotspot locations.
“Everything from young people boarding the tram without paying, abusing customers, using threatening and intimidating behaviour and making life unbearable for some of the businesses and residents’ around our town centre.
“But having high-visibility patrols in our hotspot areas has seen incidents fall by 31 per cent.
“NET have told us that they are not seeing the same level of anti-social behaviour on the trams since the operation launched in Beeston and Chilwell.
“We don’t want this behaviour in Beeston.
“We want to send out a strong warning that we are watching their every move and it makes sense to either behave or leave the area.”
Julian Smedley, NET Operations Manager, added: “We are delighted to have been able to support another successful police operation that has had such a positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour in the Beeston area.
“The safety and well-being of customers and colleagues is always our number one priority, and such activity will not be tolerated anywhere on the network.
“Over recent months we have worked closely with the police and other partners on a range of initiatives aimed at deterring criminal or inappropriate activity while providing reassurance for tram users and local communities.
“At the same time, our high-resolution CCTV cameras, which cover the entire system, have played a key role in identifying offenders and led to a number of successful prosecutions.”
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