Concern as police anti-social behaviour grant cut

The decision to scrap a grant dedicated to tackling anti-social behaviour in Warwickshire could have safety implications, councillors fear.

Op Resolve was rolled out in 2024 through a £1m annual government grant to target problem areas with increased patrols by police and partner organisations.

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Phillip Seccombe said it would be tough to maintain the current level of police presence without government funding for the scheme.

Speaking to the county's Police and Crime Panel, he said was "very disappointed" with the decision.

Councillor Keith Kondakor said: "Our town centres are blighted in the evenings and we also have quite a bit of anti-social behaviour on our new estates while they are bedding in.

"I'm particularly keen that this is something we don't go backwards on."

Seccombe said that other PCCs had also criticised the decision, recognising the importance of those hotspot patrols by neighbourhood policing teams tackling anti-social behaviour.

Warwick district councillor Jim Sinnott asked whether work to cut violence against women and girls and serious violence on the streets would be impacted.

He said: "It is proven that if we get people on the ground we can have a real impact on the figures,"

"Just because the grant funding doesn't come through, I'm not sure that is a good enough reason for us to stop doing something with a proven track record.

"Our public have come to expect [the service]."

Seccombe said the overall result could see a "partial loss" of service with funded partners replaced by extra police patrols.

"The sad thing about it is that we are going to lose those partner organisations like the wardens in Warwick, the rangers in Rugby, BID in Stratford," he said.

"We were able to fund them but they will lose that because we just don't have it."

On the strengthened neighbourhood policing, he added: "Plainly, one of their jobs will be to do some of that hotspot patrolling.

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