CHANGING perceptions about problems – whether real or imagined – caused by youths hanging around shops on Oxford’s Rose Hill estate is a priority for the area’s police commander.

Rose Hill, Iffley and Littlemore neighbourhood Inspector Andy Storey said work was continuing to strike a balance between the rights of the youths who congregated at The Oval and the fears of people living nearby.

Antisocial behaviour, auto crime – including the riding of mini-motorbikes – and parking were last week named as the top three concerns of people living in the area, after public consultation was carried out to determine policing priorities for the next six months.

Mr Storey said: “One of the things coming back is the perception of crime going on all the time, whereas in fact none of that is actually backed up by the statistics.

“The battle I’ve got is the same throughout Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys, to some extent.

“There are a lot of good results and crime, particularly related to antisocial behaviour, is actually falling, but that perception remains.”

In Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley, every form of offence – except theft of vehicles –between April last year and March this year, fell compared with the previous 12 months.

Mr Storey added: “When we went to people, they gave us this idea that gangs of youths are hanging around outside the shops in the centre of Rose Hill, so we asked them ‘what are they doing?’ and the answer is ‘nothing, they’re just hanging around’.

“It’s the possibility of these youths making people feel intimidated, and that’s a difficult thing from a policing point of view.

“That’s the perception issue: people seeing a group of youths and thinking they’re up to no good, when in fact the kids are doing what any other generation has done.

“We put out neighbourhood patrols so while these kids are hanging around, we hope residents are aware of a uniformed presence and feel reassured.

“A longer-term approach is trying to provide diversionary schemes. Instead of hanging around shops, we want to make them aware of the whole host of things available to them.”

The consultation, which was completed by a record total of 732 residents, was welcomed by Mr Storey. He said: “Sixty-five per cent of those 732 felt the area is safe and that generally matches Oxford as a whole.

“Seventy-two per cent of people spoken to were very satisfied or satisfied with the work of the police and partner agencies in dealing with antisocial behaviour. That’s way above what’s expected.”

Rose Hill city councillor Antonia Bance said: “I think the challenge is to make sure our estate has enough for young people to do to remove this issue of groups gathering at the shops.”

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