How hotspot policing and partnership working are combatting anti-social behaviour in Essex
Published Friday 22 November 2024
Hotspot policing and strong partnerships between the public services have been crucial in driving down incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Essex say Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst and Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet – the national lead for ASB.
Anti-social behaviour has fallen by 65% across Essex in the past five years, with the police working alongside local councils, the fire service, the NHS, the Probation Service and charities as part of community safety partnerships to reduce offending and tackle the underlying causes.
In October, the PFCC revealed that a further £1.6m had been secured to combat ASB in 15 areas of Essex, known as Operation Dial. The first phase of operation led to 101 arrests and the issuing of 112 fixed penalty notices across 13 zones.
To mark Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, DCC Prophet visited Harlow alongside PFCC Roger Hirst to meet the leader of Harlow Council, Cllr Dan Swords, and Cllr Joel Charles in the town’s ASB hotspot zone where more than £88,000 has been allocated for dedicated patrols.
The group got an insight into the impact hotspot patrolling has made from officers from Harlow Community Policing Team and two council community safety officers, and spoke to local people who were keen to share their experiences of ASB in the town centre.
ASB has fallen by 11.1% in Harlow in the past year. Since 2019, it is down by 70% with the number of offences dropping from 2,989 to 896 in the year to the end of October compared to the same period five years earlier.
PFCC Roger Hirst said collaboration was helping to achieve better outcomes for communities: “A strong foundation of partnership working is essential to driving down crime and anti-social behaviour. Safe, secure communities are the bedrock on which we build prosperity and wellbeing for all. I am confident that by all partners working together we can continue to build a safer Essex for everyone.”
DCC Prophet said hotspot patrols and partnership working were key in making communities safer, a point he made in a speech at Westminster to launch ASB Awareness Week.
He said: “Hotspot policing has allowed officers to be visible in the community and to be a real presence enabling community cohesion. We know that ASB challenges will not be solved by one agency, we work with partners to ensure that communities are at the heart of everything we do.
“We have strong partnerships between the local authorities, housing and charity sector as well as our colleagues at the Association for Police and Crime Commissioners. All these agencies need to work closely to ensure that communities feel safe and able to report ASB and associated criminality when they witness it or are a victim of it.”
Hotspot patrolling was backed by Councillor Joel Charles, the Cabinet Member for Public Protection on Harlow Council, who added: “The launch of the anti-social behaviour hotspot response project is an opportunity to target those who think it is acceptable to cause harassment, alarm and distress in communities across the county.
“It is a welcome step forward that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has chosen Harlow to be part of this county-wide project to stamp out anti-social behaviour. The council is committed to supporting all efforts to ensure Harlow remains a safe place to live, work and visit.”
