Staffordshire Police to mark UK’s first Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week

Staffordshire Police has joined a national campaign that is bringing together people and organisations from across the country to take a stand against ASB and make communities safer.

Officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) based in Staffordshire, will be taking to social media to highlight their everyday work to tackle anti-social behaviour, and mark the launch of the UK’s first official ASB Awareness Week.

Running from July 19 to 25, ASB Awareness Week – Making Communities Safer, aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the options available to those facing it.

The week of action is bringing together people and organisations from across the country to take a stand and work together to make communities safer.

Organised by community safety specialists Resolve, ASB Awareness Week is being backed by the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Local Government Association (LGA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC).

Throughout the week officers and PCSOs will be out and about across the county, working with partners to speak to the public, providing advice and addressing any concerns they raise. They will be carrying out patrols in areas where residents have reported issues to deter and disrupt anyone who maybe intending to behave anti-socially. Their work will be carried out in partnership with colleagues from Stoke-on-Trent City Council and local authorities from around the county, as many ASB are handled by their teams, such as excessive noise. 

Chief Inspector Phil Duffy, force lead for ASB, said: “We don’t under estimate the impact anti-social behaviour can have on victims. Which is why tackling it is an everyday commitment for us and our partners in Staffordshire; we work closely with our local authority colleagues in Community Safety Partnerships for each area.

“We know it’s critical we listen to our communities’ concerns and there are now more ways than ever to tell us if you’re having problems with ASB. Many of our officers hold online chats, you can report issues via our social media pages, website and you can also call us on 101.

“ASB is something you’ll see our teams updating about routinely on our social channels and via Smart Alert, our community messaging platform. However, throughout this dedicated awareness week we’ll be sharing some snippets of what this work looks like and who is tackling ASB here in Staffordshire, so you know we’re here if you need us.”

Rebecca Bryant OBE, chief executive of Resolve, said: “We need to change the way we think about ASB. It is not low-level crime. It devastates the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.

“As the nation begins to recover from the impact of the pandemic and our society and economy celebrates the start of return to normal life, it is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs nationally and locally so that people feel safe in their homes and communities.

“We are delighted to have Staffordshire Police involved in this hugely important and successful campaign.

“It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and community.”

For more information visit www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek