Calderdale crime crackdown reduces shoplifting by nearly 40%
Anti-social behaviour did rise in some parts but at a slower rate than previous years
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
Well, it’s clear now that the nights are drawing in and everything is getting that little bit colder.
But this time of year is actually my favourite - I drove through Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd yesterday and the trees, hills and moors looked absolutely stunning.
Trees which I might not have ordinarily noticed were shimmering in shades of orange and brown.
I’m going to get out and about with my camera this week I think and capture some of the images in our beautiful towns and villages.
So what’s in today’s edition? Well we’ve got the usual Calderdale digest with a couple of choice nuggets.
Plus my LDR colleague John Greenwood reports on how action in three Calderdale towns this summer so shoplifting fall by almost 40%. What a result that is!
So, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
🚌Political leaders in West Yorkshire have given the green light to a multi-million pound, zero emission fleet of electric buses.
The green fleet will be part of the Weaver Network – the new publicly controlled bus network that will start too be introduced in West Yorkshire in 2027.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority approved a £30m deposit to make sure the vehicles are ready by April of that year.
The network will see control of bus fares, routes and timetables moved away from bus companies and set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin had made the decision to push ahead with bus franchising, claiming it would be the best way to improve bus services across the region.
The Combined Authority has now begun the process for selecting operators of this new service – with existing operators invited to apply.
There will be a range of different contract types and sizes, to run services on its behalf.
Ms Brabin said: “This investment is a major step towards exciting changes for our region’s buses.
“A brand new fleet of zero emission electric vehicles, including features and designs shaped by the people who use them, will be a vital part of an integrated Weaver Network that makes sustainable travel the easy choice.
“Bringing buses under our control will ensure that services work for passengers, creating a greener, better-connected region for everyone.”
⚽ Halifax Town had to settle for a point at home to York City yesterday despite taking an early lead in the lunchtime fixture.
Will Harris headed the Shaymen ahead in the opening three minutes but Adam Lakeland’s side faced one-way traffic for much of the rest of the game, putting up a valiant defensive display until Ollie Pearce broke their resistance five minutes from time.
Pearce tapped in from close range after Halifax keeper Sam Johnson failed to hold a corner. The visitors had 10 shots on target and 23 efforts overall.
Halifax are two points behind York City in eighth and nine behind leaders Rochdale who drew 0-0 at Woking.
Action brings results as crime falls in THREE Calderdale towns
By John Greenwood
Boosted summer activity in three Calderdale towns saw shoplifting reduced by almost 40 per cent as a result of action.
The Government tasked politicians with policing responsibilities to work together to take visible action to help restore confidence in local communities.
Focusing on anti-social behaviour and keeping town centres safer, the campaign, called Summer Surge, was led in Calderdale by West Yorkshire Police with Calderdale Council and others supporting.
Key aspects were increased visibility including deploying more officers, supported, for example, by the council’s Community Safety officers.
Calderdale Council’s Crime and Disorder Committee heard Halifax, Brighouse and Hebden Bridge were the three town centres targeted.
Anti-social behaviour incidents increased over the summer but through July, August and September there was a sizeable reduction on thefts from shops compared to the same period in 2024, said Inspector Craig Collins of Calderdale Police.
The “neighbourhood guarantee” included a named officer for each of those areas with “visible action” taken over anti-social behaviour and offences against shops, he said.
The latter offences were 39.5 per cent down on the same period last year in those three towns as a result, said Insp Collins, in an approach which involved “increasing visibility, there’s action, community engagement and problem solving.”
September figures had seen 39 arrests in Halifax and eight in Brighouse, he said.
For council officers’ part, through the summer months they had 49 interactions with individuals, six fixed penalty fines being issued to people breaching the authority’s Public Space Protection Order rules.
Councillors were told in Community Safety Partnership Manager Derek Benn’s report: “This tells us a bigger story, because when officers are out and about in high visibility patrols, people’s behaviour tends to change.
“Just having that visible presence really does make a difference.”
Although anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents had increased that rise was smaller than the year-on-year rise of 28 per cent, Insp Collins had told councillors.
These amounted to ASB rises of two per cent in Brighouse and 11 per cent un Halifax during the summer months.
Calder ward – Hebden Bridge – had seen a bigger increase, of 27 per cent, but in numerical terms that only meant an additional six reports, he said.
That’s it for this edition, thanks for reading.
Don’t forget you can drop me a line on calderdale@thelead.uk or via Substack if you want to get in touch.
Until Wednesday, have a great week!
Andrew