Episode 8 Neighbourhood Blues

Neighbourhood policing has come a long way since the days

of Dixon Of Dock Green.

Good evening, all.

From inner city estates to suburbia, this new

generation of community police officers are on the front line.

Their aim is to develop a stronger bond with the community,

crack down on the crimes taking place on your doorstep

and formulate fast-action plans to take down the criminals.

-I said no!

-I said yes.

In this new series of Neighbourhood Blues,

we go to the Humberside Police region

and get exclusive access to 12 teams of neighbourhood police officers

as they tackle the problems blighting local people...

No, I don't care!

Eh, eh, eh!

..and rise to the challenge of making the streets a safer place.

Coming up... The sticky-fingered thief who gets taken to Task.

-To be honest, mate...

-I'm doing me job, fella.

I'm not a stupid little lad.

The cops make a man-sized cat flap to raid a suspected drug abuser.

And a night out on the town leads to a run-in with some locals.

Y'all are not from around here,

you're from Beverly, I know that for a fact.

No, you don't know that for a fact.

-Yeah, I do, cos you're a Beverly copper.

-No, I'm not a Beverly copper.

Police forces across the country have been challenged by the public

that they are not doing enough to tackle local crime

and get criminals off the streets where they live.

The police have responded by establishing new teams

of neighbourhood police officers.

These are bobbies who are getting back to basics.

It is a great idea and principle, but the big question is -

does it work?

The bobby on the beat.

It's a reassuring sight for many people who are tired

of their community being downtrodden by crime.

And the neighbourhood team are there for justice at every turn.

As a veteran of neighbourhood policing,

Chief Inspector Lee Edwards has witnessed first-hand

the difference neighbourhood policing makes.

They really provide the structure around which our neighbourhood

policing has grown up and become so strong.

This kind of dedication to the job runs throughout the force,

and every single officer who signs up to do community policing

relishes the challenge each new day brings,

including Jason Turner.

You get quite attached to it.

You get quite passionate when something happens on your patch.

You really want to give sort of like a good service.

You know, I've worked the area eight years.

I've been offered the chance to go work nearer, you know,

nearer my home. I travel sort of like 30 miles to, uh...to get here.

-But I do love the area.

-Plus he's got a good beat manager.

HE LAUGHS

Yeah, you can't do enough for a good gaffer.

And the challenge today is a familiar one - following a tip-off

about suspicions of possible cannabis cultivation

in a residential area.

Dave Mackinder and the team are on their way to investigate.

It appears as though the occupant perhaps vacated this address a few

months ago and has gone to live with his girlfriend around the corner.

But still pays the rent on it.

So if that's the case, we could potentially find

anything from a handful of plants to a house full.

As the rest of the team surround the house to make sure no-one

tries to cut and run, Dave gives the door a knock,

hoping to rattle anyone inside.

If anyone's home, they're not answering.

Yeah, it smells.

Police, anybody home, come to the door, please!

An extra piece of intelligence has suggested that the tenant is

currently staying at the house around the corner,

so whilst a couple of officers stand guard at the suspicious

property, Dave musters the rest of the team to pay the other

house a neighbourly call.

-Morning, how are we doing?

-All right, fine.

I'm trying to get a hold of a chap who I think is your boyfriend.

-Do you know where he is at the moment?

-Yeah, he's here.

-He's here.

Can I have a word?

And this time, Dave's in luck.

After having a word with the man, he comes with the police

and gives them consent to enter the house, and offers up his door key.

By signing there, you're consenting to us having a search.

You can withdraw your consent at any time, OK?

Whether he has anything to hide remains to be seen.

At least he won't be needing a new front door.

Once inside, an overpowering smell hits the team.

And Dave makes a b-line upstairs.

He finds a mini nursery growing plants -

some ready for cropping, others little more than seedlings.

You could smell it through the letter box when we first came.

And...and as you get closer, the smell...the smell increases.

It may not look as though there's much there,

but there's certainly anywhere between £2,000

and £3,000 worth of cannabis on those plants, at street value.

This isn't obviously something that's just happened overnight,

it's been done over a period of time.

And, um, this particular chap has voiced concerns that he might

lose his job if he ends up with a criminal conviction for this.

That's the chance you take when you commit an offence.

You've got the rest of your lives to look back and think,

"I wish I hadn't done that."

But obviously, this has gone on for a period of time,

and he's had all that time to think.

"Am I really doing the right thing here

"and what happens if I get caught?"

So unfortunately for him, that's the consequences of his actions.

Crime scene investigators are soon on the scene

and photograph the evidence before turning it over to the

neighbourhood team to dismantle the operation

and confiscate the drugs for destruction.

We've got all the exhibits together.

We've got a couple of plants that we sent off for forensic analysis.

The remainder of the plants we'll just bag up,

and they'll get sent away for incineration at a later date.

And obviously, there's exhibits here that surely prove

the production of the cannabis - the cultivation equipment, basically.

Back at the station,

the man admitted full responsibility for the cannabis farm.

He was formally cautioned by police for possession

and production of cannabis.

Though this allows him to avoid a criminal conviction,

it does go on his police record.

The neighbourhood team continue their high-profile

assault on anyone in the region suspected of cultivating cannabis.

Neighbourhood policing is all about heading off trouble before it

can escalate,

whether it is in a major city centre,

a suburban street or a small market town.

I think people are just more unpredictable these days.

Whereas you might get a bit of abuse or people being a bit loud

when they come out of the club, now they are more likely to be physical

and not know the boundaries and not stop at what they are doing.

People have the right to pass up and down the streets without

being affected by that kind of disorderly behaviour.

Yeah, I think probably drinking is on the rise.

I know binge drinking, for example,

is a bigger problem than it used to be.

I think alcohol is a lot more accessible to young people

these days.

And as a natural turn of events, you will get more drunkenness

and antisocial behaviour at the weekends.

With just over 13,000 people,

Driffield is a fraction of the size of Hull,

but police use the same principles when it comes to keeping

weekend drinkers and potential antisocial behaviour in check.

It is all about sharing information,

making sure the police have a visible presence on the streets

and diffusing tension before things turn serious.

Driffield, afters and pubs, you know, that can stay up till,

you know, two, three in the morning.

There is no nightclubs as such.

Um...

You know, it's a farming, market town.

Um...

You know, there's some nice places to come and eat and drink

and, you know, it's a good...

You know, for a good night out, you know, Driffield is very good.

We was talking to one of the door staff.

He said last night, you know, the place was very quiet,

but they had some people who he believed were from out of town,

and they are the ones that caused the, you know, problems.

You know, so, you know, the place could be heaving and, you know,

there's no issues and, you know,

you could get the issues just with two or three people.

So you just never know, you know, when it can happen, really.

Now then, you all right?

Richard Bastiman checks in with Driffield's doorman

and licensees to see how the night is shaping up and check

if there's anything that needs to be nipped in the bud.

-No problems or anything?

-Yeah, no.

Pub Watch is a joint venture between pubs,

police and the Council that uses monthly meetings

and fast-response phone calls to keep each other

informed about potential problem drinkers.

If there was an incident, say, in this pub,

they use, like, a ring-round system,

where this pub will ring the next pub

and then the next pub will ring the next pub on the list,

and then explain to them, you know, what incident has occurred

and describe, you know,

the possible offenders to make them aware of it as well.

ALL: Bye!

Good night, enjoy yourselves.

Inside, everyone is enjoying themselves this evening,

but Richard has spotted an argument between two men,

and one of them is already the worse for wear.

Y'all are not from around here,

you're from Beverly, I know that for a fact.

No, you don't know that for a fact.

Yeah, I do, cos you're a Beverly copper.

-No, I'm not a Beverly copper.

-Yeah, you are.

-Anyway, beside the point.

-We're just talking.

-All right. Well, keep walking that way, then.

Keep walking that way.

He didn't go in.

Go on, fellow, cos you're drunk, right,

-and you're going to cause problems.

-No, I'm not.

You're going to go home, you're going to leave the area now.

All right, fella, I'm pushing you

because I want you out of the way, right?

So you're going to leave the area now, all right?

Otherwise, you're going to get locked up, simple as that.

So leave the area now.

-What's that? Why?

-Cos you don't want to deal with me.

All right, go away.

With the man reluctant to go home, he is given formal notice to

leave the area and not return for 48 hours.

Now we're going to take your details

and we're going to legally make you leave the area.

All this says is, I've spoken to you tonight

and asked you to leave, nothing more than that.

But just then, another man arrives.

-MAN:

-What's happening?

-I was talking to Russ again.

-I'll explain to you what's happened.

Right. He was having a bit of an argument with a guy down there,

right, and he's drunk, so I have instructed the door staff not

to let him in, because of the potential of causing problems.

All right?

So he is now going to go home. So...

But he needs to go in the next five minutes.

-I'll take him.

-All right, no worries. Cheers, thanks a lot.

As the drunken man is escorted away,

Richard is free to carry on his patrol and talk to the locals,

keeping an eye on the good-humoured revellers in town.

I've been involved in a couple of fights,

but I've never ended up with any scars.

HE YELLS

It's mental in Driffield, it's mental!

There's no particular clubs, but there's two places you can

go till 3:30, which is a perfectly good time to drink till.

You get too much drink...

They want to fight. But overall,

like, the vast majority of people aren't interested in fighting.

-RADIO:

-'It's slightly broken, due to the wind,

'just confirm your location.'

But the drunken man's ignored the offer of help

and refused to comply with the Section 27 warning already

issued, so now he'll have to be arrested.

-All right, guys...

-Oh, look, there's a camera, because you're a

-BLEEP!

Let's just deal with him and then we'll come and talk to you.

BLEEP, BLEEP!

-Shall we take him over to John, then?

-Yeah, yeah, that's great.

-I wouldn't

-BLEEP

-if I were you.

-Thanks, mate.

I have got your glasses.

He thinks he is a hard man.

-Right.

-Simple as.

I mean, obviously, you have to appreciate that he was issued

-with the Section 27 dispersal order.

-I tried to get him off.

Yeah, I know you did, because you was walking away with him.

So, obviously, he is now under arrest for breach of that.

Returning to the station, the man has got an opportunity to

reflect on matters and sober up a bit. But by the time he gets

out of the van, he is singing a very different tune.

Now, that's fine, don't worry. Let's get you in.

The man was cautioned for breaching his Section 27 dispersal notice,

but all in all,

it was another successful shift for the neighbourhood police

officers, so that a good night out can be enjoyed by all.

Coming up...

Get your engines in the ready as we find out how a Humberside

scheme is going full throttle to keep youngsters on track.

If I wasn't go-carting, I'd probably be getting in trouble.

So it's keeping me out of trouble.

The neighbourhood team often have to make tough calls in difficult

situations in a bid to reduce crime,

but as well as responding to calls for help about individual

problems, their close ties with the community allows them

to build up a database of intelligence,

which enables them to tackle broader crimes.

In the battle against drugs,

neighbourhood policing is always ready to pursue tip-offs,

intelligence and community concerns about possible drug

abuse in the area.

Today, Sergeant Mick Stevenson is ready to act on just such

information.

We've got a warrant to execute this morning for a class B drug -

an amphetamine.

We have to get all kitted up,

though, because it will be a rapid entry, so it will be a case...

If the door is not unlocked, it will be a case of forcing the door.

Mick briefs the team,

flagging up some of the possible hotspots in the upcoming search.

This morning, we're going to do a warrant.

And the suggestion is that they are both using amphetamines.

Dave, Randy, they can do the front door.

Mitch, you can drive the big van for us.

The ten-man team mobilise for the morning raid.

With surprise crucial, there is a selection of battering rams

and forced entry equipment on hand.

Discovering the door is locked,

the police are empowered to make a forced entry.

When the lock won't give immediately, the officers

punch a hole in the bottom panel to avoid losing precious time.

Police, stay where you are!

The cat flap option does the trick.

-Anybody else in the house other than you two?

-No-one.

The woman is taken downstairs for questioning,

while police handcuff the young man.

Right, let's take you downstairs and then we'll decide

if there's anything you need to be brought into custody for.

Mick clarifies why the morning lie-in has been shattered.

We'd like to give you the warrant under the Misuse Of Drugs Act.

All right?

Entry achieved,

the debris is cleared away and an extensive search can get under way.

She's saying there's nothing in the house, but they'll now do a search,

get our breath back and we'll see if there is or there isn't.

But almost immediately,

the woman has a confession to make

about drugs hidden in her make-up bag.

This is what she reckons was an amphetamine.

It's really powdery, crystal-y.

Yeah, it is.

Though forthcoming about being in the possession of drugs,

the woman is much shyer when it comes to admitting her age.

Thank you.

Just confirm your date of birth again for me as well, please.

So why does your passport say '64?

I have no idea.

When were you born, 1964 or 1974?

-You was born in '64?

-Yeah.

The police search even extends to the playhouse in the garden,

but nothing else is found.

The Wendy house turns up totally clean.

Back inside, the search uncovers something rather unusual

in the wardrobe.

There, as you can see, are two little stalks.

They don't look like they've been in the ground very long

or in there for very long.

They were situated in those planters in there, which,

as you can see, has got a light rigged up to it.

Whilst the police might suspect bad behaviour having taken place

at the house, they are sure of one thing -

the dodgy electric wiring has been rigged up.

Where's the electric metre?

Yeah, that looks bad.

I guess they have bypassed it there, look.

Can you contact Metre Plus for us?

It would appear they have bypassed the electricity.

That ain't the way, is it?

When we got upstairs, they were still in bed,

and they clearly didn't have a chance to dispose of anything.

We've done the search. What we found is a small amount of amphetamine,

or what we believe to be amphetamine, in a make-up bag in her bedroom.

And to be fair to her, she did indicate that that was there

and she signed an officer's notebook to say that that is what it is.

The fact that a drug search warrant has been executed at the house

is not good news for the woman's housing situation.

You realise, one thing that will probably happen now is you'll

get your tenancy demoted,

which means you'll be back on, like, probation again.

And if you get caught - drugs, criminal offences -

again in here, there is every chance the Council will apply to evict you.

Arrested for possession of amphetamine

and abstracting electricity, the young man was not charged.

The woman was not formally charged either, but was given

a second chance, thanks to Humberside's Female Triage Scheme.

This scheme helps people tackle their problems head-on

and understand the consequences of being involved in anything

that can break the law.

This groundbreaking justice alternative not only saves

millions of pounds of taxpayers' money by freeing up the courts,

it is also very successful.

It has reduced reoffending by over 90% in the Humberside region alone.

Ever since Britain entered the big economic downturn, there is

one enterprise that has been booming - shoplifting.

I ain't even done nothing.

Shoplifting really, really upsets me,

because I think I work really hard for what I've got.

My business is my own business, I'm the only one.

And when they shoplift from me, it is

literally shoplifting money straight out of my pocket.

You're pulling on my arm.

No, fella, you're under arrest, and I am in control of you,

not the other way around, do you understand?

Shoplifting has risen 6% year on year,

with a staggering 3.3 million sticky-fingered acts of theft

happening in the last year alone.

In Humberside,

the neighbourhood team work closely alongside shopkeepers

and the business community to try and keep thieves in check.

Fellow, who are you following and what's going on? So we know.

And members of the public are doing their bit to help the police

track the culprits down.

One biggest guy with tattoos on his arms.

-So, they're working the shop or what?

-No, they were in there and...

-Where have they gone now?

-Down there.

Information comes in over the radio that a man fitting

the description has been rounded up, and Alan is quickly on the scene.

What's going on, man?

Alan searches through the man's bag, looking for the stolen items.

Have you got anything on you that's stolen?

-I'm PC Coley.

-I know who you are.

-Yeah.

I'm going to carry out a search

cos I suspect you've got stolen property on you, OK?

Just let me have a look.

On opening up the rucksack that belongs to his friend,

the suspect makes an on-the-spot confession.

His bag, but he says he put something in it.

But he doesn't know what it is.

That's what I robbed from that shop.

All right. And who was carrying this bag?

He didn't know that was in the bag. I put it in the bag.

You are under arrest for shop theft at the moment, all right?

The suspect is taken to the station for further questioning,

and Alan has crossed paths with him before.

This young lad used to be prolific in the city centre,

begging in shop doorways and basically bothering people for money.

It's fair to say,

I was bothering you three, four times a day in the town centre,

-if not more.

-Just messed up as it is.

Unusually for someone in custody, the suspect is in an open

and talkative mood.

I didn't rob them to sell on to...

I robbed them because I've got into painting models,

which I'm doing instead of begging.

That's the daft thing, innit?

If I had lied about who carried it,

all I'd have done is mess things up for myself.

It would have taken ages.

They know I did it, I know I did it, I mean,

-we all know

-BLEEP,

-just get it over and done with.

Back at the station, the man is booked in.

-It's real nice, innit?

-It's all posh, isn't it?

We were stopped in front of the city centre and was alerted

by store staff who was following this male

from the Gamestation on Paragon Street.

And alerted that he had stolen some items.

Upon searching one of the bags that this male had with him,

it was a bag of toy soldiers.

He is fully admitted to stealing the toy soldiers to feed his hobby.

Whilst this man may have come quietly,

back out in the city centre,

Mick Davison, who assisted Alan in the earlier theft arrest,

is making his way to another incident,

with the suspect looking like he may be about to put up a fight.

Yeah, they've just detained somebody who is

suspected of a shop theft, from a shop in the city centre.

The IR, Incident Response, are going there,

but we'll make our way just as backup,

just in case they might need a van.

This guy is drunk, I think, as well.

So it is always good practice to have a van available

just in case somebody is going to be violent or they're not going

to cooperate with being arrested.

On arriving at the destination,

Mick gets given the lay of the land by officers already on the ground.

The man in the blue has got a ticket and the lad in the back

of the car is being locked up for theft from Bargains.

It is his birthday today.

Nothing to do.

But it's your birthday, go off and get drunk.

His friend was giving him a present, just forgot to pay for it.

Mick backs the man up in order for the suspect to be

taken into custody.

-Of course it offends me, you little

-BLEEP

-runt, mate.

The suspected thief has plenty to say for himself as well,

but nothing that is very polite.

-Take my boxer down if you want, mate.

-I'm not going to do that.

-I don't give a

-BLEEP,

-to be honest, mate.

I'm telling you the truth, I know nothing of it, mate. Yeah?

I was all right in the first place, to be honest, mate, wasn't I?

Never cause no trouble, mate, have I?

-Good lad.

-Good lad(!)

No need to tense up, keep it nice and friendly.

I ain't going nowhere, am I?

-I'd rather go in. I know what's happening.

-Hey, keep it down!

-All right, well,

-BLEEP!

-Calm it down!

Shut me in the van, I can't be arsed, man.

No, I'm going to search you.

-Who's this

-BLEEP

-in my face with that?

-Hey.

-BLEEP.

-Just calm it down.

-There is no need for any of this, is there?

-No need, mate?

No, there isn't, fella.

You're far off it, kid. To be honest, mate.

I'm doing my job, fella.

You're saying that while smiling. I'm not a stupid little lad, kid.

BLEEP!

-Go on.

-Good lad.

BLEEP!

-I swear to God, mate... You little

-BLEEP!

OK?

It's not ideal to put them in the back of a police car.

We do on occasions put them in the back of police cars,

but it's not ideal.

If they're in the back of the van, they can't hurt themselves,

they can't hurt other people. And you can put an officer

in the back to monitor and make sure they're OK.

At court, the man was convicted and received a 12-month

conditional discharge for stealing two bottles of peach schnapps.

He must pay £85 cost and a £15 victim surcharge.

This man got a 12-month conditional discharge and a fine,

ending up turning his therapeutic hobby into an expensive mistake.

Whilst carrying out a routine night patrol,

Dave Mackinder and Allison Munro take a call over the radio.

A member of the public has phoned in, concerned about a man

who has been seen loitering around a children's playground all day.

Yeah, that's received, thanks.

As Dave blue lights it to the location, Allison provides

more information about the nature of the call that they're responding to.

Yeah, we've just had a call in relation to a suspicious male,

and he is still actually in the area,

so my colleague is responding to get there as soon as he can,

to get this gentleman stopped so we can get his details.

Dave uses his strong local knowledge to take back roads

and shortcuts to race to the location.

All the while, he maintains close radio contact with

the CCTV Centre in an effort to track the man.

Yeah, we're just going on to Savoy now, is the male still in view?

'Yes.

'He's walked past the flats on the left-hand side of the footpath.'

Yeah, received. We should be with him in a minute, then.

On approaching the park, Dave spots a man.

He gets out to ask him a few questions.

Police work is often based on an elimination process

whilst facts are gathered

and the officers concerned can get to the bottom of the problem.

Somebody's rung us cos they've been concerned about somebody

vaguely matching your description acting suspiciously near the shops.

-I've just left my girlfriend.

-Have you? You haven't been near the shops?

I cut through and there was, like, a group of people,

and I heard one of them say, "He ran that way."

They've got their wires crossed, I don't think it's you.

Thanks for your time.

This man is left to get on with his evening,

as Dave and Allison get on with trying to locate

the suspicious-sounding loiter.

In the meantime, more calls have come in from members

of the public, concerned about this person.

One tip-off is from a resident who has managed to engage

the man in conversation whilst parked in his car long

enough for the police to arrive.

Well, then, all right. All right.

Step off the road so we can have a word

and I'll explain what's going on.

-Is it you that called us?

-No, it's my friend.

-Is it? No worries.

You can put your arms down, you're all right. What's your name? BLEEP.

BLEEP, have you got any identification on you?

Identification.

ID card, something with your name and address on it.

Dave checks the man's ID card, which shows he is from Eastern Europe.

How long have you been in England, BLEEP?

-Three years.

-Three years.

The man in the parked car explains the situation as best

he can understand it.

He's been on park, watching the kids since three o'clock today.

All my friends over there was just concerned about him.

And I just pulled up here and he seen your lot

and tried running, so I stopped him.

-I'm waiting...

-Waiting for somebody to take you to Peterborough?

-Yeah.

OK.

Dave tries to get some more information on the man's back story.

He claims to be awaiting a lift by a friend to

a destination that is over 100 miles away.

-You are going back to Peterborough tonight, yes?

-Yeah, yeah.

Because you've been seen acting suspiciously, I'm going

to give you a search, OK?

Just tobacco?

The man comes up clean from the search by Dave.

Over at the car,

Allison thanks the member of the public for his vigilance.

The man is now making a telephone call to try and

track down the lift he claims he has been waiting for all day.

Five minutes.

My concern...

It's time for Dave to explain to him

why there have been concerns raised by the public.

If you stand here waiting now, somebody might come

and approach you and

potentially be violent towards you.

We'll take you in the van to the address you need to be at.

-OK.

-OK. Yep.

To help resolve the situation,

Dave decides to take the man to his pick-up point.

This should stop calls from worried residents coming into the

neighbourhood office, at least, and ensure that the man gets on his way.

Whereabouts do we need to be?

That way?

Dave eventually reaches the rendezvous point, where the

man's friends await him.

Hi. You speak English, yeah?

Where are you going now?

-Now we are going to Peterborough.

-Back to Peterborough?

And that's where BLEEP lives? Yes, yes.

So you're going to get in the car now

and drive straight back to Peterborough?

That's fine. OK.

That's fine, Allison.

With the story all seeming to add up,

Dave is satisfied that the man can be sent on his way.

OK.

You're free to go, then, all right?

OK. See you later. Bye-bye.

Their situation has been resolved swiftly and satisfactorily, and is

another example of how neighbourhood police teams are always at

the ready to react to any call from a concerned member of the public.

The neighbourhood teams respond to an enormous variety of crimes

and complaints, but what makes them unique

is their knowledge of the area and the people under their protection.

With nearly one and a half million incidents of household theft

a year across the country, the battle against burglars is ongoing.

People going through your things,

you know, you feel permanently violated.

I would absolutely hate that.

I feel so sorry for anyone that has been burgled.

They've actually come through off of this here. I've put it back.

I've put all that back. That was missing. That was missing.

And they come through...

-What is it that is actually gone missing, then?

-Uh... A chain saw...

They've actually opened everything up, had a look, see what there is.

See what they can get.

Yeah, see what they can get, what they can take,

-what they can make money out of.

-Stuff that is easily shifted.

A recent spate of night-time shed burglaries, concentrated on a few

hotspots, has prompted Humberside Police to launch Operation Kingbird.

Its mission - to crack down on local thieves in the night.

Basically, what I'm trying to look at doing is going in there

in plain clothes,

being the one who can actually get in close,

stop people without being spooked, find out who they are,

supported by colleagues, that's necessary

they're close by just to provide that instant response.

By upping their stop-and-search policy in target areas,

police not only raise the chance of catching thieves red-handed,

they send a strong message to any potential criminals to think

twice about night-time nicking.

Let's go do some checks on you.

Have you been in trouble with the police before? Have you?

Oh, that's all right.

Although the number of burglaries is steadily decreasing,

there are still over 600,000 recorded incidents every year.

Just going to take a quick search

-to see if you've got owt on you at the moment.

-Yeah.

-Nowt like that?

-Good enough.

And police are determined to bring those numbers down.

All right, fella, thanks very much indeed.

The majority of these encounters are met with good humour

by members of the public, happy to cooperate with Operation Kingbird,

as shared concerns help build rapport with the community.

-All right, mate.

-All right.

-Cheers. Thanks very much.

But prevention is better than cure when it comes to battling burglars.

And PCSOs are on hand to give advice.

The aim today is to provide crime prevention advice.

We are going to fit crime prevention equipment to the shed, garages

and also within the home addresses.

And we're also going to have a real shift in property marking.

Because that is something where we need to improve on.

So, we are going to use UV markers, we're going to property mark tellies,

anything expensive to that resident.

And we're also going to fit quite high-quality garage alarms.

Again, to help tackle this menace of these shed and garage burglaries.

They are only used to seeing the police now and again,

when we go flying by in blue lights.

To them, this is a real personal experience, where we are going

into their home addresses, where we are showing the passion

and care and we are giving them real key crime prevention advice,

which is real key information for them.

We've given at least

ten, 11 window alarms to people, just myself and Luke.

And we have given several...

Must be about 30 stickers to go on the windows.

We've also had alarms installed in nearly every one of those

houses, into the sheds and garages.

So we've given quite a few things away today.

So, as I say, it just makes them

that little less likely to be a victim of crime.

Heading off crime before it takes hold, the neighbourhood teams ensure

the only thing burglars will get here is an earful.

ALARM

It's not all big red keys and executing drugs warrants

for Sergeant Mick Stevenson.

Today, Mick and PC AJ Whitehead are off to check out a man

getting agitated at a local store.

There is a male at the bookshop at the retail park who is being

a bit aggressive with the store security.

I think it is a case of he has been asked to leave

and I think he is not too pleased about that.

As the security guard fills in AJ, the man tries to slip away.

But Mick's got a hand on things.

It is immediately clear that he has been drinking

and he's not keen on being the centre of attention.

-I'm telling you no!

-Come have a word.

-No, I'm telling you now.

-Calm yourself down.

How much of you had to drink?

-Does it matter?

-You all right?

-Yeah.

What is your first name, mate? BLEEP.

Hey, I'm being polite to you. BLEEP.

But there is more than just tonight's incident

on the security guard's mind.

I believe I recognise him

because I believe he's responsible

-for a theft at Mamas And Papas last week already.

-Right.

-So he was quite abusive, aggressive.

-You know which theft it was?

-I have a log number.

-You have a log number for it?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-And a picture as well.

-Just write your ID.

-That's our office number.

-Yep.

The man continues to protest.

But when Mick invites him to go into detail, suddenly,

he's got all tongue-tied and emotional.

You just need to calm yourself down a little bit.

-Yeah, I don't like it.

-What don't you like?

Between me and you.

-You can't go around...

-Yes, I know, I appreciate that.

-..mouthing off in front of members of the public.

-I appreciate that.

-Well, then...

-I appreciate that.

If I sit you in this van, take you to the station,

are you going to behave yourself?

-You are being arrested...

-Whatever,

-BLEEP.

That's not very nice. You are being arrested to prevent

-any further offences.

-BLEEP. Come down.

-You,

-BLEEP, BLEEP.

BLEEP.

-Guy's a

-BLEEP.

-You were right, go on.

Go on.

Yeah, go on.

Enjoy yourself.

He's...he's obviously well drunk and we can't leave him down here.

He's being disorderly and he's been effing and blinding at the people,

at the shops, so he's got himself locked up for drunk and disorderly.

There is some suggestion he might be wanted for shop theft as well.

Once we get him in the cells, we'll do some inquiries,

see whether he is or he isn't.

When AJ informs the man that he is under arrest for a suspected

shop theft as well as being drunk and disorderly,

he is greeted with a mouthful.

You are also under arrest for shop theft, all right?

Do you understand that?

-Shop theft of what?

-It is for some baby monitors from Mamas And Papas.

BLEEP!

All right, thanks.

Ignoring Mick's advice,

the man continues to protest his innocence in the police van.

BLEEP!

I ain't even stole nothing.

All right, well, then, all you need to do is sit there,

enjoy the ride and we will sort it out at the police station.

-I'm not going to enjoy the ride.

-Well, you know I was...

-I'm going to take a piss.

-Just keep calm. All right, all right.

Back at the station,

the man is booked in before bedding down for the night in the cells.

Go that way, mate.

The man arrested was eventually given a ten-month suspended

prison sentence and ordered to pay costs

and a victim surcharge for shop theft.

The neighbourhood police teams' attempt to clean up crimes is

a direct response to local residents' complaints.

But for this new neighbourhood initiative to work,

the police need the continued support of the public,

and results are the only thing that will achieve this.

Many teenagers find themselves on the brink of trouble,

as the temptations of antisocial behaviour, and worse, beckon.

Neighbourhood police officers know only too well that keeping

youngsters on the right side of the law is a challenge worth

rising to, as one ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

PC Andy Derbyshire organises a fortnightly go-karting event

for youngsters, many of whom are on the verge of getting an ASBO.

It's motor-based.

It gives them the thrill of racing each other.

It gives them the input for fixing karts, fixing engines.

So in that respect, it also gives them an engineering background,

cos a lot of them do want to become mechanics or become

involved with vehicle repairs as and when they leave school.

And once the mechanics workshop is done and dusted, it is time for

everyone to kit up and get behind the wheel for a hands-on practical.

Humberside Police's Inspector Steve Lamb is a keen

defender of such schemes, as he explains.

People say, "Well, why are we rewarding bad behaviour?"

You know, I'd counter that by saying that we are not,

we are not rewarding

bad behaviour, we are rewarding the kids that are on the cusp of

being involved in criminality, but they haven't crossed that line yet.

So we are diverting them away from those particular crime types

and saying, "What do you want to do? Do you want to play football?

"Do you want to go go-karting?"

So it's not rewarding bad behaviour, it's rewarding good behaviour.

If the lads wasn't here at the moment, I would say a lot of them

would be just hanging around on street corners, in groups,

getting bored, causing antisocial behaviour

and generally just causing problems

for the rest of the residents on the streets and the police as well.

If I wasn't go-karting, I'd probably be getting in trouble.

So it is keeping me out of trouble.

I want to be a mechanic because it's fun fixing cars and motorbikes.

And I want to be a mechanic all my life.

Obviously, I'm better than Ronnie because...

He's just too slow and I am always winning.

It's good again to get involved with them all on, like,

a personal level rather than just wearing the uniform

and just laying the law down with them all the time.

Neighbourhood policing harnesses the energy and commitment of teenagers

and police alike to make communities safer and futures brighter.