Winning the battle against Anti-social Behaviour (ASB)

What the report says...

"The Chief Constable has a strong ambition to improve how the force tackles ASB."

"The force has made strides in improving the way it deals with anti-social behaviour and there are plans to help Neighbourhood teams identify vulnerable complainants and repeat victims through better IT systems."

"There is strong community safety partnership working."

What we have to say...

This grading should show our performance is improving.

The number of recorded ASB incidents in Avon and Somerset has fallen by eight percent in the past year and public satisfaction in this area is also significantly improving.

Nationally, the latest British Crime Survey found that on average 15 per cent of the population think there are high levels of ASB in their area. Our force figures are significantly lower than this average.

Demonstrating the scale and speed of our progress, we have jumped from sixth to second position when compared with our peer forces.

Across the force we have some 60 neighbourhood policing teams who are dedicated to resolving anti-social behaviour at the earliest possible stage and supporting people whose lives it affects. We have robust processes in place to help identify repeat problem areas and potentially vulnerable victims.

Working closely with partner agencies and building strong relationships with communities is vital. We are further developing the PACT (Partners and Communities Together) process, which is proving successful.

Real life example

High-visibility street patrols targeting known anti-social hotspots combined with community-based activity helped to ensure a horror-free Halloween last October.

On what is traditionally the police's busiest night of the year, significantly fewer incidents were reported to the police over the Halloween weekend which saw more than 600 police officers, special constables, PCSOs and other police staff in action.