A DOZEN enforcement officers to help crack down on trouble are to be rolled out in Teesside towns after a £410,000 boost. 

Stockton Council chiefs have earmarked cash to recruit extra community enforcement officers during the post-pandemic recovery. 

Cabinet papers showed money from a £2.8m Covid recovery pot will bolster the ranks of the civic enforcement team.

And the 12 are expected to be stationed in town centres across the borough.

The move was revealed last week as leaders pored over a 2019 residents survey.

It flagged up community safety as a concern – with surveys showing only 32 per cent of responders were satisfied with the work of community safety officers. 

But the report added this response likely reflected “general perceptions” about anti-social behaviour and crime – and the public “may not be able to distinguish” between council enforcement and police roles. 

Cllr Steve Nelson, cabinet member for community safety and access, said the council’s enforcement officers were some of the most dedicated, professional and committed staff at the authority.

He added: “For context, we only have 24 enforcement officers to cover the whole of the borough – with only nine on shift at any one time. 

“The remit of the enforcement officers includes not just anti-social behaviour, but parking enforcement and environmental crime.

“As a ward councillor I get positive feedback about the visibility and effectiveness of the officers and the service.”

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) – designed to give councils more powers to crack down on trouble – are being considered in Stockton at the moment. 

Cllr Nelson also pointed to a recent successful Safer Streets bid which brought in £370,000 for CCTV and security measures in Parkfield and Stockton town centre. 

However, how crime and trouble was perceived by the public was a “perennial and frustrating issue” for the cabinet member. 

Council figures showed drops in both reported crime and levels of anti-social behaviour in the borough when compared with the previous year. 

Both measures were also the lowest in the Cleveland area by head of population. 

Cllr Nelson said: “It would be understandable that if crime and anti-social behaviour goes up, that the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour, and it being an issue for residents, also go up.

“But quite often that graph doesn’t go the other way so we have to investigate the reasons for that.

“We know for time immemorial, the mainstream media regularly and understandably features crime and anti-social behaviour stories – and again, understandably, so does a fair bit of social media. 

“I think these help frame public perceptions. The challenge we and the police have is to help provide the information and messaging to give a more rounded picture.”

Two reviews of police messaging are taking place across Cleveland at the moment. 

Cllr Nelson told colleagues he believed messaging at the force had improved – referring to how residents welcomed positive policing stories on social media. 

He added: “Similarly, the council is reviewing its own community safety messaging.

“But I would say it’s a fine balance which needs to be struck to achieve the desired reassurance without further increasing the fear of crime. 

“It is a difficult balancing act.

“That said, I absolutely recognise the public’s concerns regarding crime – which is of course largely the police’s responsibility – and anti-social behaviour. 

“And we’re doing all we can as a council to address those concerns.”