Police chase anti-social ghosts and ghoulies

POLICE in West Somerset will be chasing mischievous ghosts and ghouls this Halloween as Operation Relentless turns its attention to those using the occasion as an excuse to be anti-social.
Halloween is traditionally the busiest night of the year for police, with a massive increase in calls from the public around anti-social behaviour.
As part of Operation Relentless, extra patrols including Special Constables and partner agencies will be out on October 31 to target the anti-social behaviour hot spots across the area.
In the run-up to the day, officers have also been working with retailers, schools, and Neighbourhood Watch groups to give out personal safety advice on how to have a safe and fun Halloween.
Retailers are once again linking up with the police and refusing to sell flour and eggs to under-18s.
Police are particularly asking parents to take responsibility for where their children are on the night and what they are doing - both for their own safety and the safety of the people they visit.
Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen said: “This is not about criminalising Halloween or trick or treating.
“It is about ensuring everybody enjoys the night safely.
“For most young people, the evening is all about having fun, but for some older children they use Halloween as an excuse to act in an anti-social manner causing misery to vulnerable local residents.”
On the evening, police will have extra patrols around the dispersal zones in towns and villages.
Mr Hansen said: “From experience, when officers have returned children to their homes, many parents are unaware of where they have been or have been told a different story.
“It is really important that parents work with us to target anti-social behaviour so that everybody can enjoy the evening.
“I would ask parents - do you know where your child will be on Halloween? If not, then check it out. Are you satisfied they will be safe?
“We do not want to spoil anybody’s fun but what we will not allow is anti-social behaviour to be masked under the name of Halloween.
“This is behaviour which, on any other night of the year, is clearly unacceptable.
“While some of the ‘tricks’ seem like harmless fun, some people can go too far and act in a manner which some vulnerable members of the community find very frightening.
“They should not have to tolerate this, so nor will we.”
Halloween postcards will be given to young people in the run up to the day giving advice on how to trick or treat safely.
Advice includes:

• Always go trick or treating with an adult
  
• Only go to houses where you or your friends know the residents
  
• Stay in areas that are well lit and take a torch with you just in case
  
• Stay with your friends – don’t get split up unless an adult goes with you
  
• Don’t knock on doors where there is a sign saying ‘No Trick or Treat here'
  
• Don’t talk to strangers on the street and don’t enter any house - stay on the doorstep

Crime is still falling says West Somerset police chief

THE number of crimes being committed across West Somerset has continued to fall, the district’s police chief, Inspector Carol Pearce, has claimed.
Inspector Pearce said there was a 25 per cent reduction in crime last year, and a further five per cent fall since April of this year.
She said: “It is all about keeping our community safe and enabling people to feel safe, whether on holiday or a resident.”
Inspector Pearce was speaking after a successful Operation Relentless initiative at the weekend in which officers visited alcohol-designated areas and licensed premises to detect licensing and drug offences and to seize alcohol.
The York House Inn, in Minehead, which is a Pub Watch member, took part in drug testing, working with police and the licensing department.
An Itemiser machine was used and 49 people were tested for controlled drugs - with none found to be positive.
The number of alcohol seizures was also well down on the previous such exercise, and Inspector Pearce said this type of prevention activity would be repeated by partners across West Somerset.
Inspector Pearce said: “This is a positive indication that police presence, and new orders, are having an impact on people’s behaviour.
“It shows that most of the time we have people in the right place at the right time.
“Police officers, PCSOs, and Special Constables are routinely checking alcohol-designated areas, seizing alcohol, and moving people on though a Section 27 Order where they may cause a nuisance.”
Inspector Pearce said people now understood the message that police were taking anti-social-behaviour and drugs abuse seriously.
However, she said it remained important for residents to keep the police informed about any problems they had in their area.
She said: “I make sure my patrols are in the areas we know they are needed.
“If people do not tell us about their problems, we do not always know they exist.”