Officers support national anti-social-behaviour week of action

We are supporting a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of the impact of anti-social behaviour (ASB) this week.

From 18 July to 24 July, ASB Awareness Week – Making Communities Safer campaign, aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the options available to those facing it.

And as part of our ongoing work, officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) based in Staffordshire, will be out and about across the county, working with partners to speak to the public and address any concerns around anti-social behaviour.

Organised by community safety specialists Resolve, ASB Awareness Week is being backed nationally 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).

Between June 2021 and June 2022, the force recorded 22,569 incidents of anti-social behaviour, a 13 percent reduction compared to the previous year (June 2020 and June 2021).

The force will be supporting partners in highlighting the impact of anti-social behaviour and will engage with the wider public about their vital role in tackling ASB.

In Burntwood and Lichfield, officers will be visiting schools and giving talks around anti-social behaviour and knife crime. Patrols will also be visible in Burntwood and Lichfield providing reassurance and engaging with the public, provide crime prevention advice around keyless vehicle thefts and target anyone causing anti-social behaviour.

PCSOs in South Staffordshire are to visit schools and youth cafes to provide talks to pupils alongside partners around ASB. Officers in South Staffordshire will also be running an operation to coincide with the last day of school (21 July) to tackle ASB after school and underage drinking. Wombourne Boxing Club are also working with officers to target youths in the local area to raise awareness of the impact anti-social behaviour can have on communities.

Throughout the week in Tamworth, PCSOs will be holding community engagement events around ASB at the Castle Grounds on 20, 22 and 23 July.

Officers in Cannock, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent will be running an operation during the week targeting the illegal use of motorbikes.

Officers from Stoke-on-Trent will also be working with Stoke-on-Trent City Council visiting different parts of the city each day to tackle anti-social behaviour and conduct rough-sleeper sweeps.

Chief Inspector Laura Morrey, force lead for ASB, said: “We don’t underestimate 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.”

Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Abi Brown said: “ASB Awareness Week will bring together the collective resources of a wide range of public organisations.

“We are all committed to ensuring communities in Stoke-on-Trent are safe and welcoming for residents as possible. We take these responsibilities very seriously and will not settle for the small minority of people who cause anti-social behaviour.

“Teams from the council will be fully supporting this and will be out across different parts of the city every day of the week. We will also be conducting ‘rough-sleeper sweeps’ to ensure people who may be on the streets are getting the support they need across our city.”