‘Significant increase’ in trouble in two York areas leads to police intervention

Residents are being urged to respond as police launch a survey into their experiences of bad behaviour in Haxby and Wigginton.

Councillors for the ward say there’s been a “significant increase in anti-social behaviour, culminating in two arrests following a stabbing in November“.

They say police have responded to their call for more attention to be given to the trouble.

As well as meeting with police, councillors and a range of residents, community groups and businesses, have joined walkabouts with PCSOs, and have met ‘designing out crime’ officers to look at where CCTV or better lighting could tackle anti-social behaviour.

Haxby and Wigginton Lib Dem Cllr Andrew Hollyer said: “Our huge thanks to our PCSO and the police for their efforts recently, we’ve noticed a real step up in attention being given to Haxby and Wigginton and we hope we can continue to build on this positive working to make sure our villages are safe and welcoming for everyone.

“We need as many people as possible to complete the survey so that the police are fully aware of the issues and so can produce the best plan to tackle them.”

You can complete the survey here.

Earlier this year Cllr Hollyer wrote to North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe urging her to commit more resources to the area to curb the problems.

In his letter, he said: “Evidence of the anti-social behaviour experienced by residents is all around Haxby village today, from graffiti at the bus stops, to plastic boxes thrown in hedges, damaged fencing and hitching rails and smashed slates and glass.

“Every local business has a story of how they have been impacted by the escalating ASB and it is damaging trust in the safety of Haxby village.”