Communities across Cumbria feel safer and see more Police Officers on the streets following the introduction of Operation Enhance in July 2024 to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and serious violence in the hotspot areas in the county.
The operation was funded by a successful bid of £1 million by Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, from the Government’s Hotspot Response Fund. The Operation included extra patrols in the hotspots to deter crime, throughout the patrols, the Constabulary gathered feedback from the public regarding their perception of crime.
Some members of the public were pleased to see more Police Officers on the streets:
- “A van driver from Fusehill street said he was happy to see us about and it re-instated his faith in the police.” (August 2024)
- "Been a long time since we’ve seen Bobby's on the street, it's good" (October 2024)
- ““When there are police around there are no yobs," Appeared happy with officers on foot patrol.” (December 2024)
Businesses have also noticed a change in behaviour since the extra patrols were instated:
- “Staff at Indoor Market felt the foot patrol was working and things are better than last year. They said the majority of their issues were straight after school.” (September 2024)
- “Store staff have seen an improvement in ASB in the last few months” (January 2025)
- “Licence premise state they have fewer issues than they used too.” (September 2024).
Since the Operation began, between 1 July 2024 and 28 February 2025, across all hotspot areas, anti-social behaviour has decreased from 860 reports to 551 reports in comparison to the same period in 2023/24 – a 35.9% drop. Serious violence has also reduced in comparison from 72 reports in 2023/24 to 57 reports in 2024/25 (-20.1%).
The extra patrols have influenced other crime types in the hotspots. There have been 83 burglary offences since the start of the operation compared to 133 in the same period the year before – a decrease of 37.6%. Vehicle offences also reduced by 35.5% - 40 reports compared to 62 in the same period in 2023/24.
Gemma McManus is the Joint Centre Manager at the Lookout Community Hub and is lay Minister at St Barnabas and St. Luke’s churches in Raffles. in Raffles, one of the hotspot areas targeted over the last eight months.
Gemma McManus is the Joint Centre Manager at the Lookout Community Hub and is lay Minister at St Barnabas and St. Luke’s churches in Raffles, one of the hotspot areas targeted over the last eight months.
She said: “It’s great to see Police in the local community – it makes a difference and stops people from committing crimes when they see the Police.
“I’d love to see more local Police Officers in Raffles. Local Officers know the community and actively deter and prevent crime. I know this is something that the Commissioner and Chief Constable are working towards and it’s good to know that we are being listened to in Raffles.
“I’m really proud to be part of the community here and I want everyone to feel safe when out and about, more officers will help with this.”
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “Operation Enhance is all about making communities feel safer and more welcoming to residents whilst deterring crime.
“I’m incredibly pleased to hear from residents, such as Gemma that they are seeing a difference in their communities. We all deserve to live in a community where we feel safe - I will be continuing to work with the Chief Constable to ensure that residents stay safe and see Police Officers on their streets.
“A reduction of anti-social behaviour by 35.9% and serious violence by 20.1% is a tremendous success and what we don’t want is to see this rise. The Chief Constable and I launched a Neighbourhood Policing Pledge at the beginning of the year outlining how we are going to keep communities safe and we will be receiving an extra £1.7m from the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee that ringfences that money for extra neighbourhood Officers, PSCOs and Special Constables.
“We are one of the safest counties in the country but that doesn’t mean that we are resting on our laurels – we are continuously looking at how we can improve safety and visibility across Cumbria and making sure you get what you want out of your Police service.
“As your Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, my role is to be the voice of residents within Cumbria, in respect of the Police service – I am your voice. If any member of the public has a concern about crime in their area, or around the Constabulary please raise it with me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or call 01768 217734.”
Chief Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: “It is clear that the dedicated, high-visibility patrols have had a significant positive impact across the hotspot areas.
“The feedback we have had from the communities in these areas, including from people approaching our Op Enhance officers whilst they are on patrol, has been extremely positive.
"Whilst the funding for extra patrols has come to an end, I can assure the public that tackling antisocial behaviour and serious violence will remain a very top priority for the Constabulary and that the best elements of Operation Enhance are adopted moving forward.”
If you wish to report to police you can do so online at Report a crime | Cumbria Police. You can also phone on 101. Always phone 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.