Targeted policing patrols to clamp down on anti-social behaviour have come into force across Durham recently as the nation marks ASB Awareness Week.
County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has secured Home Office funding, worth £2m over the next year, to pilot urgent action to tackle ASB. Additional funding for the project is being provided in 2024/25.
ASB is consistently rated by Durham residents as a top priority.
Durham Constabulary, working in collaboration with multi-agency partners including Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council and the Fire and Rescue Service, is one of 16 ‘trailblazer’ areas to be implementing the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. The pilot will deliver robust enforcement in areas with the worst ASB problems and a new Immediate Justice service where perpetrators of ASB will receive swift and visible punishment in their communities within 48 hours of being reprimanded. It will also see the police working together with other agencies to develop sustainable solutions.
As ASB Awareness Week launched across England and Wales, the first ‘hotspot’ policing patrols got underway across County Durham and Darlington. The aim is to increase the speed at which problems can be dealt with and help deter other offenders from bringing misery on their communities.
Activities will be monitored regularly to measure the success of the programme. Communities in the hotspot areas will see an increased presence of police and partners over the coming weeks. They will also see the roll out of Immediate Justice whereby those who commit ASB will be clearing their own mess.
Commissioner Allen said: “I have made it clear since I became Commissioner that I will not tolerate the torment and distress ASB offenders inflict on our communities. The roll out of ‘hotspot’ policing from this week will see ASB treated with the energy and urgency it deserves – this is what local people have told me they want. Durham is once again at the forefront of tough and decisive action to address the problems that cause grief and stress to our residents. This funding boost will help us tackle ASB head on and fulfil my promise to build safer, stronger and resilient communities.
“The Durham Constabulary area is already delivering outstanding results with ASB down 16.4 per cent over the last quarter of 2022-23. This investment will help us to keep the momentum going, and I will do everything I can as Commissioner to ensure the county receives the support it needs beyond this two-year programme.”
‘Hotspot’ policing will tackle issues such as street drinking, drunken behaviour, vandalism, criminal damage, fly-tipping and other environmental problems that cause distress.
Commissioner Allen has prioritised ASB in her Police and Crime Plan and has funded an array of projects and resources to increase support for victims and ensure offenders get the justice they deserve. This includes becoming the first PCC in the country to appoint a dedicated ASB Victims’ Champion.
As the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ (APCC) Joint Lead for Addictions and Substance Misuse, she has led calls for the Government to ban nitrous oxide and campaigned hard for ASB to be taken more seriously.
Picture (L/R): PCSO Debra Waller, Nigel Bryson (Deputy PCC), Andrea Patterson (ASB Champion), Joy Allen (PCC), Keith Carruthers (Director of Community Risk Management), Paul Rutherford (Durham County Council Neighbourhood Warden Co-ordinator), Jeff Parker (Durham County Council Neighbourhood Warden, PCSO Sophie Burnip.