Blitz on crime and graffiti in Bognor

The carrot and stick approach of a Week of Action will be heading for the area from November 30 to December 5.

It is being organised by the Arun Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, which holds several such events each year.

One is currently taking place in the Ham ward of Littlehampton.

Weeks of Action are brief and intensive periods of activity in small areas designed to tackle local issues identified in advance.

They aim to reduce crime and disorder and make people feel better about where they live.

A typical day during a Week of Action might include police making early - morning drug raids and visiting problem tenants with housing officials, the DVLA rounding up untaxed cars, and TV licensing officers making house calls on suspected television licence dodgers.

But on the positive side, there could be teams of workers trimming hedges, tidying gardens and removing graffiti.

There might also be crime reduction and fire service staff giving security advice and making home safety checks, and young offenders giving something back to the community by planting bulbs.

Community centres may run play schemes for young children alongside information stalls hosted by the NHS, groups of residents and the police.

Meanwhile, teenagers could enjoy a music bus on which they can learn how to be DJs, and youth workers hosting evening sport sessions for them.

All these efforts would be backed up by constant high-profile street patrols by police and PCSOs.

Arun District Council community safety officer, Richard Bartram, said: "The principal aims include increasing the confidence people have in local agencies, improving communities to increase engagement, and providing a platform for sustainable networks and partnerships in the target areas."

Meetings between the various organisations involved are already taking place to decide the best way to use the week in Bognor.

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