Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed the news that Wealden’s Neighbourhood Policing team have been honoured with a national problem-solving award for their work to engage with young people involved in, and at risk of, crime.
Operation Asteroid, the Wealden Neighbourhood Policing team’s response to anti-social behaviour in Uckfield, was chosen as the winner of the Neighbourhoods category of the 2020/21 Tilley Awards, set up by the Home Office to celebrate successful problem-orientated projects.
The winning approach focussed on working alongside East Sussex County Council’s Children’s Services team, carrying out a community-wide assessment, and identifying issues and exploring ways for partners in the community to play a role in addressing them.
As a result, there has been a significant drop in offending by the young people involved in Operation Asteroid since May 2020 and a noticeable reduction in anti-social behaviour in some of the hot-spot areas within Uckfield.
Nus Ghani said: "I am incredibly grateful to Sussex Police for their ongoing hard work and dedication to keep our communities safe. The Wealden Neighbourhood Policing team have done tremendous work to tackle anti-social behaviour in Uckfield and safeguard our young residents from crime. I am delighted that they have rightly been recognised by this national award and I congratulate them on the fantastic success of the operation. Operation Asteroid is a great example of how a partnership between police, local authorities and the community can lead to great improvements in crime levels and help to make Wealden a safer place to live.”
