Police are reminding sun seekers to respect their communities and coastline as Operation Coastwatch comes into full swing in response to the warmer weather.
Every year, the council joins forces with Northumbria Police, Nexus and local partners for Operation Coastwatch – an initiative that creates a holistic approach to tackling disorder and anti-social behaviour along North Tyneside’s award-winning coastline.
The activity encourages communities to enjoy their summer evenings safely and responsibly and, now the sun is shining on the North East, officers are once again reminding residents and visitors to the area to act respectfully.
The operation consists of extra patrols, preventative work on the transport network to disrupt and stop any disorder before it reaches communities and beach wardens to monitor coastal activity.
Police work with partners to identify, investigate, and act against licenced premises which are found to be selling alcohol to underage individuals – revoking licences and sending a clear message to other retailers in the area.
Officers also gather cross-agency intelligence on anyone found to be taking part in criminality or disorder as well as carrying out modified CCTV plans to best utilise resources and capture disorder ahead of prosecution.
Chief Superintendent for North Tyneside Dan Whyte, of Northumbria Police, has praised local communities for their support for Operation Coastwatch and wants to warn anyone involved in creating disorder that this will not be tolerated.
He said: “Year on year we’ve seen that Operation Coastwatch delivers in its purpose which is to keep our communities in North Tyneside safe and allow everyone to enjoy our award-winning coastlines in peace.
“With each warm weekend or event, we carefully set out a targeted and planned approach to ensure we can be as effective as possible.
“We know that local residents and businesses have concerns around anti-social behaviour and disorder, and we want to reassure them that we, along with our partners, are here to continue to support and protect communities.”
Ch Supt Whyte added: “I want to be clear that any pockets of disorder will be dealt with swifty and robustly. We won’t tolerate people negatively impacting the experience of others.
“The warmer weather isn’t a green light for people to stop obeying the law. We all have a responsibility to one another, and everyone deserves to have a good time without worrying about the actions of others.
“As ever, we’d ask the wider community to help us and continue to show their support. I’d encourage parents and carers to continue to engage, work with us by speaking to your children about where they are heading, what they are doing and the potential consequences of getting mixed up in anti-social behaviour.”
North Tyneside Council are also asking residents and visitors to be respectful and pick up their litter, be mindful of noise and also report any incidents or concerns to police.
Councillor Karen Clark, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Tackling Anti-social Behaviour, said: “As our busy summer season approaches, we are once again stepping up our activity along the seafront, working closely with the Police and Nexus to address any potential issues.
“Last year, we received reports of antisocial behaviour following end-of-term celebrations, including littering and underage drinking. We understand that students want to celebrate, and we have written to schools to ensure that students enjoy our beaches safely and responsibly.
“We urge everyone to respect our coast by taking litter home or using the bins provided, disposing of BBQs and fire remains responsibly, adhering to seasonal dog walking restrictions, and observing safety flags and signs.
“Our Community Protection Officers and Environmental Wardens will patrol the beaches and issue fixed penalty notices for littering. Let's work together to keep our beaches safe and clean."
Erika Allen, Quality, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Director at Nexus, said: “Metro is a major gateway into the North Tyneside coastline over the summer months, and we want people to come and enjoy it, but we don’t want a minority of troublemakers to spoil it for everyone else.
“We’re working closely with the police and our local authority partners again this year through Operation Coastwatch. Metro is a safe system and we are determined to keep it that way.
“These operations are proving successful in dealing with any issue that arise, including anti-social behaviour and fare evasion.
“This builds on the work we have already done to improve safety and security on the transport network, including the roll out of our dedicated security teams, investment in new CCTV, and the launch of our new text message alert system to allow customers to contact the Metro control room more easily.”
Anyone with concerns is asked to contact police using the Northumbria Police website or by calling 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency or if a crime is ongoing.
