Police in England and Wales have been urged to step up their efforts in combatting anti-social behaviour, as a watchdog highlighted the need for improvement. Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman emphasised the importance of enhancing the focus on staffing neighbourhood police teams, who are often the first responders to such incidents.
A recent inspection report revealed that most police forces need to enhance their identification, recording, and response to anti-social behaviour, as well as improve their protection of victims. Approximately one million anti-social behaviour incidents were reported to the police in the year leading up to September 2023. Labour’s election manifesto outlined plans to address anti-social behaviour and increase the presence of neighbourhood police on the streets.
Mr Freeman described anti-social behaviour as a “blight” on communities and stressed the significance of understanding its complexity and prevalence for effective early intervention. While there were commendable efforts by some police forces, the report noted inconsistencies in responses, with a lack of adequate training for officers in dealing with and documenting incidents.
The inspector made eight recommendations for improvement, emphasising the importance of instilling confidence in local communities that their police force will address anti-social behaviour effectively. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted the government’s commitment to creating safer streets, including introducing new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The proposal to introduce “respect orders” targeted at curtailing anti-social behaviour, along with initiatives to designate individuals in each council area to lead anti-social behaviour crackdown efforts, were discussed. The call for police forces across England and Wales to adhere to recommendations to combat anti-social behaviour was reiterated by policing minister Dame Diana Johnson.
Essex Police’s deputy chief constable Andy Prophet, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council work on addressing anti-social behaviour, welcomed the findings and expressed readiness to reflect on the recommendations for further enhancement of policing efforts in this area.