Crime in De Bruce, Hartlepool

Drug dealing and drug or substance misuse continue to be concerns raised by residents across the ward, and we remain firmly committed to tackling both the use and supply of controlled drugs within our communities. This issue remains a central focus of our daily work, as we recognise the significant harm that drug activity causes not only to individuals directly involved, but also to families, neighbourhoods, and the younger generation who may be vulnerable to exploitation.

Our overarching aim is to make the town as safe as possible by targeting those who profit from criminality and cause the greatest harm. Much of our recent progress has been driven by proactive policing. A notable proportion of recent drug‑related arrests have come from officers stopping individuals for unrelated offences, only to find controlled substances during subsequent searches. This approach is highly effective: it disrupts drug supply, removes harmful substances from circulation, and helps us identify wider criminal networks operating behind the scenes.

We will continue to pursue those who exploit vulnerable people, ensuring they are brought to justice. At the same time, we remain committed to providing wrap‑around support to anyone who has been drawn into exploitation or coerced into criminal behaviour. Working alongside specialist services, we aim to safeguard individuals, reduce harm, and prevent further victimisation.

Our work also extends to tackling counterfeit goods, including illegal cigarettes and vapes. These items pose significant risks to health and wellbeing, particularly for young people, and often form part of wider criminal enterprises linked to drug supply. By targeting these products through enforcement and partnership activity, we are disrupting the financial incentives that fuel organised crime.

Education remains a vital part of our strategy. We continue to work with young people through schools, youth groups, and community organisations to raise awareness about the dangers of substance misuse. By helping young people understand the long‑term consequences health risks, criminal implications, and vulnerability to exploitation we aim to prevent harmful behaviours before they begin. Early intervention is essential in reducing future demand for drugs and supporting young people to make informed, positive choices.

Partnership working underpins all of our efforts. We work closely with local authority teams, health services, housing providers, and community organisations to ensure a coordinated response that combines enforcement with prevention and support. This joined‑up approach allows us to address the root causes of drug‑related harm while also taking decisive action against those responsible for supplying controlled substances.

Through enforcement, prevention, education, and strong partnership working, we will continue to drive this work forward and protect our communities from the harm caused by drug dealing and substance misuse.

Anti‑social behaviour (ASB) remains a key priority across the ward, with residents, businesses, and partner agencies continuing to raise concerns about the impact it has on daily life. We recognise the harm that persistent ASB can cause ranging from intimidation and nuisance behaviour to criminality and we remain committed to reducing these issues through a balanced, proactive, and partnership‑led approach.

We continue to work closely with partner agencies and local education providers to reduce the harm caused by ASB across our communities. This collaborative work is essential in ensuring that young people and vulnerable individuals are offered meaningful education, guidance, and diversionary opportunities that help prevent issues from escalating. By addressing the root causes of behaviour early, we aim to reduce the likelihood of repeat incidents and support individuals in making positive choices.

Our teams will proactively target key locations and individuals involved in persistent ASB to protect residents from becoming victims of crime. This includes regular high‑visibility patrols, targeted problem‑solving activity, and intelligence‑led deployments to areas where concerns have been raised. We will continue to listen to the community and adapt our approach as new issues emerge.

Alongside prevention and early intervention, we will make full use of the civil and criminal legislation available to us. This includes Community Protection Notices, Criminal Behaviour Orders, and tenancy enforcement measures where appropriate. These tools allow us to intervene effectively, place restrictions on those causing harm, and support housing providers in maintaining safe and secure living environments. Enforcement is an important part of our strategy, but it is always used alongside efforts to encourage long‑term behavioural change.

By blending robust enforcement with early intervention, education, and support, we aim to create safer neighbourhoods and reduce the impact of ASB on those who live and work within our communities. Our focus remains on preventing harm, protecting victims, and ensuring that everyone feels safe and confident in their local area.

We will continue to work closely with residents, partners, and community groups to ensure concerns are heard and addressed. Your information and feedback play a vital role in shaping our priorities and helping us target our resources where they are needed most. Together, we will continue to build a safer, stronger community.

Tackling the illegal and dangerous use of off‑road bikes, e‑scooters and e‑bikes remains a key priority for the ward. These vehicles cause significant disruption, pose serious risks to pedestrians and road users, and contribute to wider anti‑social behaviour. Over recent months, however, we have seen a significant decrease in reports. This reduction is the direct result of targeted policing activity, strong partnership working, and the successful “designing out” of crime in hotspot locations. By removing opportunities for offenders and making key areas less accessible for illegal riding, we have been able to make a noticeable and positive impact.

We remain committed to working closely with our community and partner organisations to address this issue in every way possible. In several locations, we have taken steps to redesign or adapt the physical environment to prevent access for off‑road bikes and other illegal vehicles. This includes installing barriers, improving lighting, altering pathways, and working with local authority teams to identify long‑term environmental solutions. These measures have already helped reduce offending in areas that were previously persistent hotspots.

Education is also a central part of our approach. We are increasing our engagement with local schools and youth settings to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of using illegal e‑scooters and e‑bikes. Many young people are unaware that these vehicles cannot legally be used on public roads or pavements, or that they can be seized and destroyed. By helping young people understand the risks to themselves, to others, and to their future opportunities we aim to prevent these behaviours before they begin. Early intervention remains one of the most effective tools in reducing long‑term harm.

Community intelligence continues to play a vital role in our work. We rely heavily on information from residents about where these vehicles are being stored or used. When we know where they are kept, we can take action to remove them from the streets. Seized vehicles are not returned or resold they are destroyed, ensuring they cannot cause further harm or be passed on to new riders. This process is essential in breaking the cycle of repeat offending and preventing illegal vehicles from circulating within the community.

Our commitment to enforcement remains strong. We will continue to use all available powers to seize illegal vehicles, prosecute offenders, and disrupt organised groups involved in supplying or modifying them. At the same time, we will maintain our focus on prevention, education, and partnership working to ensure long‑term, sustainable improvements.

By combining targeted enforcement, environmental design, community reporting, and youth engagement, we aim to keep our neighbourhoods safe, reduce harm, and maintain the downward trend in incidents involving off‑road bikes, e‑scooters and e‑bikes.

We remain committed to working closely with our community and partner organisations to address this issue in every way possible. In several locations, we have taken steps to ‘design out’ the hotspots where these problems most often occur, as well as the areas regularly reported to us. Education is also a key part of our approach, and we are increasing our work with local schools to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of using illegal e scooters and bikes. By helping young people understand the risks, we aim to prevent these behaviours before they begin. We also rely heavily on information from residents about where these vehicles are being stored. When we know where they are kept, we can remove them from the streets, ensuring they are destroyed rather than sold on. Community reporting remains essential in helping us keep our neighbourhoods safe and free from illegal vehicles.

We remain firmly committed to tackling the use and supply of controlled drugs within our communities, and this continues to be a key focus of our daily work. Our aim is to make the town as safe as possible for residents and the younger generation by targeting those who profit from exploitation and cause the greatest harm. Many of the recent increases in drug related arrests are directly linked to proactive policing, where individuals stopped for other offences are subsequently searched and found in possession of controlled substances. This approach not only disrupts drug activity but also helps us identify wider criminal networks. We will continue to pursue those who exploit vulnerable people, ensuring they are brought to justice while also providing wrap around support to anyone who has been drawn into exploitation. Our work also includes tackling counterfeit goods such as illegal cigarettes and vapes, which pose significant risks to health and wellbeing. Through enforcement, prevention, and partnership, we will keep driving this work forward.