Durham at the forefront of improved response to ASB, says PCC

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed the publication of a national report on the effectiveness of police forces in tackling anti-social behaviour.

The PEEL spotlight report, published 10^thOctober 2024 by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), said many forces now recognised that anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a priority for their communities and were working hard to implement a problem-solving approach to tackle the problem.

However, it also found several areas where improvement was needed, including how forces identify and record ASB and how they identify and protect vulnerable people. The report also said too many forces still do not understand the prevalence of the issue.

Commissioner Allen prioritised ASB at the outset of her first term as PCC in 2021.

The County Durham and Darlington PCC’s strong partnership approach and focus on elevating the victim’s voice has put the force area on the map for its effective response to ASB.

The PCC appointed the first-ever ASB Victims’ Champion who brought together the two Community Safety Partnerships(CSPs) in County Durham and Darlington to create a unified ASB Strategy based on eight key principles which prioritise and strengthen the victim’s voice.

The Victims’ Champion has worked closely with victims to evaluate and learn from their experiences throughout the justice journey to ensure agencies take a more joined-up approach.

Durham Constabulary was also chosen as one of 16 ‘trailblazer’ forces to pilot the national ‘hotspot policing’ and Immediate Justice programmes, putting the force in a strong position to understand the unique challenges and demands brought by ASB across 34 key locations.  

Latest figures for the three months up to June 2024 show 5,254 hours and 18 minutes of ‘hotspot’ patrols were undertaken. These resulted in 53 arrests, 32 stop and searches, 64 informal warnings, six Community Protection Notices, nine Community Protection Warnings, one dispersal notice, 42 enforcement actions and 42 enforcement actions.

Overall, ASB incidents have seen an 11% decrease across the force area.

The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) ranked Durham Constabulary as second out of 42 forces nationally against the criteria: ‘The police understand community issues.’

Commenting on the report, Commissioner Allen said: “I welcome the publication of this national report and the detailed recommendations it makes for improvement.

“ASB has a devasting impact on its victims and any inconsistencies in performance around the country must be addressed at the earliest opportunity and weight given to the huge emotional and psychological toll this offending brings.  

“Durham has been at the forefront of national efforts to improve the response to ASB, and I am proud of the many achievements we have made with our partners. We have continued to adopt a two-pronged approach, combining tough enforcement and punishment alongside high-quality support services for those who have suffered at the hands of these offenders. Importantly, these changes have been driven by victims themselves with priority given to listening and learning from their experiences.

“The significant reduction in ASB incidents countywide is a good measure of our success, as is the improvements in the quality of support for victims which have possible through investment by my office. There is still more to do, however. ASB will remain a focus in my new Police and Crime Plan, and I will continue to hold the force to account on what is one of the public’s highest priorities.”  

By focusing on the victims’ voice and experience, the Commissioner and partners have reduced repeat victimisation,with agencies working together to address the underlying causes of ASB through a prevention first approach.

This has seen the development of a new three-step approach to tackling ASB to ensure victims know exactly how and where to turn for help.

In other work, detailed research was undertaken to redesign the Case Review scheme which enables victims of ASB who have reported persistent incidents but are unhappy with the response they have received to hold those agencies responsible to account for solving their problems.

Durham is now believed to be the first force area in the country to invite victims of ASB to the case review and to provide statements of the harm they have endured as part of a commitment to the Victim’s Code and the need to amplify the victim’s voice in the justice system.

Elsewhere, the PCC has improved support for victims through her award-winning Community Peer Mentor scheme where victims can access support on everything from money matters to health and wellbeing. She has also jointly funded diversionary projects which educate young people on the consequences of ASB through interactive performances in schools and an overhaul of the way ASB awareness is publicised to ensure residents know exactly where and with whom to turn to for help.

The full HMICFRS report can be accessed at: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/publications/policing-response-to-antisocial-behaviour/

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