POLICE officers are being drafted in to deal with Callington?s problems of anti-social behaviour after the new inspector recently admitted understaffing had left the town without night cover at weekends. Insp Martin Williams, who is responsible for Callington, Saltash and Torpoint, told Callington Town Council he was struggling to find enough staff to cover the town on Friday and Saturday nights. But it has been confirmed this week that additional resources will be given to Callington for the foreseeable future to deal with anti-social behaviour issues. The town council was left picking up the pieces after a frenzy of criminal damage and rowdy behaviour in the Saltash Road Recreation Ground two weeks ago which left the tops of picnic tables ripped off, fencing broken around the toddler area, broken bottles strewn around and a car burned out in the car park. Gangs of drunken youths have also driven the circus away from Callington and there has been a reccurrence of problems at Pollard Close where residents are afraid to leave their homes for fear of being ?terrorised?. Insp Williams told councillors: ?There are some extreme problems at the moment in Callington with regard in particular to Pollard Close and the skatepark. ?I have had a long conversation with Chief Inspector Jim Meakin who has given me assurances that he is going to give me some staff to help.? He said an action plan was being put together to deal with the problems: ?Right across the Tamar Valley we have had to give up staff for protective services. ?We have lost neighbourhood beat managers from Saltash, Torpoint and Callington.? He said a lot of this was mandated by the Home Office because there had to be enough staff to counteract terrorism, internet crime and firearms incidents. ?If we lose one member of staff it makes a big impact here because we lose night duty for the whole of Callington.? He said Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Callington were doing ?an excellent job in the community? but people were concerned because they did not have the same role as a police officer. The council?s good working relationship with the local police was highlighted, but Cllr Jeremy Gist said the town desperately needed the deterrent factor. ?Unfortunately, we live in a society where everyone relies on figures and targets and very often these do not show the extent of the problem. ?As a town council we will continue to mutter and moan persistently because we need the cover,? he said. Cllr Chris Thomas said the problems at Pollard Close, Coronation Road and Lamorna were so intense that residents who had lived in council properties happily for 18 years were asking to be moved. The East Cornwall Times reported in August that residents were being subjected to intimidating behaviour, verbal abuse and damage to their properties into the early hours of the morning. As soon as these groups of youngsters saw officers coming in a police car they did a runner, said Cllr Thomas. Police are urging residents to keep a log of incidents and to tie them to individual addresses if possible. They are also working with the housing associations who have intimated that they will evict tenants if the problems persist. ?We realise there is some good work being done by the police, but the residents are not seeing it. They are scared to go out at night, they are scared to go home and they cannot sleep. The place is a no-go area.?
