MORE bobbies will be on the beat in the coming months - following £2m in funding - as the town’s new Neighbourhood Chief Inspector sets out his aims for his tenure.
John Mallows has been in post in Barnsley for the last few months, following his stint in the same role at Sheffield.
He hopes that his experience will help him in the town - and he’s set out his targets for the coming months.
South Yorkshire Police will receive £2m to help with a new cohort of on-foot Barnsley officers after the town was selected to become a pilot for the new scheme - and Chf Insp Mallows is hoping more bobbies will be on the beat by September.
He told the Chronicle: “We’re going to be recruiting more staff to come to our neighbourhood teams.
“They will centre around incidents like antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping, graffiti and things that people tell us everyday.
“We’ve been chosen as one of the ten trailblazer forces to receive around £2m over the next two years for antisocial behaviour patrols.
“It means the communities will see patrols taking place.
“There’ll be regular, daily contact so people know who they can go to.
“From September onwards we’re going to see the present vacancies on the neighbourhood teams sustainably occupied.
“They will be a visible face of neighbourhood policing.”
In his first few months in charge, Chf Insp Mallows said there’s already been a number of hotspots he has found - particularly Thurnscoe where he hopes to target the crime.
“I think Thurnscoe is highlighted as one of the key challenges,” he said.
“When you look back at the work we’ve done there’s been a lot with our partners.
“We just need to articulate what that looks like - elective representatives have a role in that too.
“The rural communities like Penistone have a dedicated team down there and we want to strengthen that.
“Then we have key areas like the Dearne Valley where it’s traditionally provided challenges.
“There’s a lot of work around youth intervention work being undertaken.
“There’s lots of little pockets I’m already working on and some I’m still learning about.”
Bus services in Thurnscoe have now been brought back for a trial period after Stagecoach suspended them due to antisocial behaviour.
“I can give that reassurance to the community that there is an audit trail of our work taking place,” he said.
“There’s work dating back to the middle of last year and that work will continue.
“The level of antisocial behaviour and its reduction I’m really satisfied with it.
“Inspector Becky Richardson has been working with Stagecoach and the local authority and the work will continue.
“I’m really happy with the progress that’s been made.”
His main aims for the next year are seeing the neighbourhood policing aspect continue to grow, engaging with the community and focusing on rural crime.
