Crackdown on hate crime in Greenlands

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PLAIN clothed police officers are being used as part of an undercover operation targeting a group of youths believed to be responsible for a series of hate crimes and criminal damage in the Greenlands area.

Problems in the area have been ongoing over several months but have escalated in recent weeks with police currently dealing with a range of incidents including hate crime, graffiti, criminal damage to fencing and intimidation and threats to people.

The harassment and anti-social behaviour has been particularly been targeted at residents living in four properties but Redditch District Insp Ian Joseph said it was having a wider impact on the community leading to the launch of Operation Krill.

The crackdown will involve targeted patrols involving uniformed and plain clothed police officers visiting the area at key times and is aimed at preventing and deterring further incidents, ensuring a rapid response when they do happen and identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice.

Letters have also been sent to residents in streets affected telling them what is happening and appealing for information and police are also working with the Redditch Borough Council's anti-social behaviour and community safety teams.

Insp Joseph said: "We have stepped up patrols to counter this activity and we are determined to end it swiftly. Additional patrols in the area seem to have been effective this week but the operation will continue for as long as is necessary.

"Offenders need to understand that there will be consequences to their actions should they choose to continue with their offending behaviour and we have a full range of criminal justice measures available to us to deal with them.

"We are talking about a small core of young people, some of whom have already been made subject of formal harassment warnings. We will have no hesitation in making arrests and prosecuting those who continue with the type of anti social behaviour we have been experiencing recently."

Anyone with Information about anti-social behaviour should call police on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.