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Urgent action needed to tackle anti-social behaviour

9:45am Thursday 11th March 2010 in


POLICE officers don't turn up to almost one in four complaints about anti-social behaviour, figures reveal.

And the head of the police inspectorate says urgent action must be taken by senior officers to improve understanding of the toll anti-social behaviour is taking on their communities.

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Denis O'Connor says the recording of information about harassment, criminal damage and verbal abuse is "inadequate" and must be improved immediately.

He said more than half of the 43 forces in England and Wales cannot automatically identify repeat victims, leaving officers in ignorance of some of the most vulnerable people who need help.

A snapshot survey by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary found officers did not turn up to almost one in four (23%) anti-social behaviour complaints and as a result almost all those victims were unhappy with police.

Researchers also found that one in five repeat victims classed themselves as disabled in some way.

Around 3.6 million reports of antisocial behaviour were made in 2008-9, compared with 4.6 million crimes, but officials believe the true figure could be twice as high.

Speaking in central London today, Mr O'Connor said police may need to radically rethink their approach because most victims do not distinguish between anti-social behaviour and crime.

He said people wanted their home to be a safe place, adding: "Even if it is not brilliant, it is their home. If they cannot go home in peace imagine how unnerving it is."

Do you think your local police teams do enough to tackle anti-social behaviour? Let us know in the comments below...

Comments(18)

Laurie H Marsh says...
10:23am Thu 11 Mar 10

Great, if you are disabled you have a 20% chance of being attacked.
If you are the attacker you have a 75% chance that no-one is even going to show up!
The odds are well and truly with the thugs!
Maybe the decent people have chosen the wrong career path!
I am not a gambler but if I were I would bet on the thugs!
God help us!
No-one else will!

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mikey2gorgeous says...
10:35am Thu 11 Mar 10

The dominance of motor traffic has destroyed our communities.
.
40 years ago 80% of 7-8 yr olds walked to school ON THEIR OWN. Now it's closer to 5%. We no longer interact with our neighbours or local area on a personal level.
.
When was the last time you walked to the shops?
.
Lack of public transport infrastructure means the elderly and other vulnerable groups have problems with security. Lack of interaction amongst us all is creating a society with no heart.
.
We can't blame the Police for this - they haven't caused it. They are more and more stretched trying to deal with it.

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TinyLegacy says...
10:43am Thu 11 Mar 10

I'd agree about the motoring offences taking priority, it just seems they're collecting revenue these days, lord knows where the money's going.
We've had issues with local idiots on mopeds/in cars treating the local roads/lanes like race tracks. I've phoned the old bill on several occasions but they just dont care. All it would take is a visit to their houses, dish out a section 59 or two and they'd behave themselves. Public is happy, and idiots driving safer in fear of having their chav mobiles crushed.

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2Much...again! says...
11:02am Thu 11 Mar 10

It's the way our society has become..
Police used to be for the 'people'..now they're for a system..that's obviously not working.
With people working so hard to pay high prices for everything (houses, fuel etc) there's not time for community living..this is failing the UK.

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cathyfranklin says...
1:33pm Thu 11 Mar 10

I do not believe they are doing enough. Twice i have written to chief constable Martin Baker and asked if we can work together in tackling violent crime on the streets of dorset, both times ive been ignored. I work for a charity where we deal with families day in day out and have alot of experience, including experience of interacting with these youths whom cause problems. Why wont dorset police work with us? are you blinkered and think we dont have a problem or do you just want to do your way and think you dont need help? shocking coming from a modern police force that they are not willing to work with agencies and hear different ideas.

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GB916 says...
2:01pm Thu 11 Mar 10

We cant always blame the Police,they are too busy trying to meet stupid government targets,so they dont have time for everything,and even when they do catch these thugs,some do gooder lets them get away with it at court,with excuses like little thuggy is growing up without a father figure,or little thuggy is growing up in a poor family,i grew up without a father as he died when i was 5,i grew up and money was tight,i did not go around terrorising the streets,and turn into a thug,the sooner the courts deal with these thugs the better,so blame our wonderful government an PC brigade for the mess we are in mow

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Skyrah says...
2:18pm Thu 11 Mar 10

I bet the police would act pretty swiftly if members of public turned vigilante and dealt the scum and low-life at the core of the antisocial behaviour! They be I bet the police would act pretty swiftly if members of public turned vigilante and dealt the scum and low-life at the core of the antisocial behaviour! They be sure to lock them up and treat to the full might of the legal system!

Judges can't jail the guilty as there's not enough prison space for them! Police are suffering from low moral due to the level of paperwork required
just to see criminals walking from court with big smiles on their faces ready to commit further crimes often
within hours of soft sentancing!

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Skyrah says...
2:23pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Oop, sorry for repeated section - flipping iPhone and fat fingers I'm afraid! GB916, I'm 100% with you on your comment.

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roysses says...
2:59pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Back to the article.
Anti social behaviour is criminal. "harassment, criminal damage and verbal abuse" are alll crimes and are regularly prosecuted.

"paperwork" never stops police being available for football matches and demonstrations. Hundreds of them are found. Parkinson's law applies here. They will find paperwork to fill the time available.

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souwest says...
3:28pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Why do the politicians, senior police officers heck even ranka nd file police officers live in the council estates and the slum-landlord-owned hovels for a few months. This way they will see the real Britain, the real anti-social environment the rest of us have to endure. But not,they live in their ivory towers, their mansions, their vetted neighbours, their guarded-against- the-proles villas in the expensive parts of the countryside.

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rayc says...
5:22pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Remind me, who was it who said "We are going to be tough on crime and the causes of crime"?
it is timely this report coming out today when a person had died in Greater Manchester after years of abuse at the hands of local yobs. The police have said "we did everything we could".
Don't wotrry though plenty of Police for the 'No Excuses' campaign and to hand out FPN's to Council employees for not wearing their seat belts.

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contric says...
7:34pm Thu 11 Mar 10

what ever action the politically controlled police take in manchester it is to late for that poor chap but they will trot out the same excuses as the useless police did in leicestershire with fiona pilkington it makes you wonder whether police and social workers realy want to solve crime or child abuse if they did a good job they would be made redundant what they have to realise that the people causing the trouble are useless paracitical uneducated scum that are not fit to live on the same planet as most of us they are beyond redemption they should be horsewhipped and birched in public and if they re-offend they will get the same punishment but once a year for the next 20 years or the punishment that i would be reluctant to mention because it is so severe and might even breach their human rights but i will come out with the ultimate in punishment make them get a job

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poolebabe says...
9:11pm Thu 11 Mar 10

I don't blame the police at all. Human rights and the CPS have ruined our justice system. The police have to gather a great deal of evidence and build up a case. That takes such a lot of work with making sure they stick to the rights of the criminal then having cases thrown out. It's not their fault. They know the guilty parties, but their hands are tied. They can't just nick people, but the police get the blame.
.
I wouldn't want to be a police officer for anything. They work hard for cases to be thrown out and for the public to critise them for not doing enough. They get called so many times with ASB, but they know what they can charge and what they can't.

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contric says...
9:38pm Thu 11 Mar 10

the police force is gutless and useless otherwise it would tell its masters the politicians that the service they are providing to law abiding people is third rate but they wont do that they are thinking of their pensions poor fiona pilkington and francesca and the poor chap in manchester badly let down not only by politicians police social workers but people who post on here sticking up for the people who are responsable for the acceleration of this country becoming a cesspit where the no hopers and scum that plague us have more rights than good honest people

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pd7 says...
10:45pm Thu 11 Mar 10

When I read about prison officers beating up female lay preachers /helpers in weymouth and getting a 500 quid fine. Then I read about speeders getting a 600 quid fine .

Then I do think that the justice system and penalties have gone to pot.

So what is worse 101 mph on the motorway or taking a swing at a female OAP trying to help .

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old git 2 says...
10:50pm Thu 11 Mar 10

i have a few issues with this story and some of the comments above......
firstly, people always assume that ASB is a direct result of young people and their upbringing.
well im very sorry but it is NOT all young people. ASB can be caused by anyone - the young, the middle aged and even the elderly.
people see a group of young people sat on a wall and assume that they are causing anti social issues when in fact they are just being young people exercising their right to socialize in a public place!
most peoples concerns when ASB is raised as an issue actually relates to a fear of what COULD happen, and not what is happening.
when Police are called to incidents of ASB they face a number of problems. Firstly, they have to abide by the rules and regs layed down by the Home Office and the Human Rights Act.
then, they have to deal with any actual Crime that is taking place (or not as the case may be)
and finally they have to live up the the unrealistic expectations of the public!

The police are NOT to blame at all here.
i would prefer the police officers from my local station to be dealing with real crimes rather than a perceived crime.

Please dont get me wrong, i know that there are some truly terrible acts of real anti social behaviour that take place. these should be dealt with by local Safer Neighbourhood Teams in conjunction with local council ASB officers and long term solutions should be achievable.
The police do a **** good job whilst being constantly criticized. try doing that in your own jobs!

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rayc says...
8:02am Fri 12 Mar 10

A major part of the problem is the ASB ASBO culture. The term ASB is just an excuse by the establishment, including the Police, to catergorise it as petty when in fact it is intimidation, victimisation and thuggery.
It says it all when people in the Prime Ministers office felt it neccessary to phone the Bully Help Line when in the real world people are being terrorised in their own homes.

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Laurie H Marsh says...
12:32pm Fri 12 Mar 10

The points raised by Souwest and Old Git have alot of merrit.
Souwest is right on the money when the point that was raised asked why the "local" cop is not still in existence.
I remember (only too well) that as a kid if I played up I either got a clip over the ear by the local bobby or my old man was informed, who used basic punishment to re-adjust my way of living!
It took only one of each form of punishment (maybe 2 or 3) to make me see the error of my ways!
Old Git is correct in stating that a bunch of noisy kids are not the next crime wave.
Admittedly they look very intimidating but if you take the trouble to talk to them you will find that they just like to hang out and impress each other.
The risky ones are not the main group but the ones who are not on the "in" with the main group. These kids will always push the envelope to try and make themselves into acceptable, potential members.
They are desperate and need to be treated with caution.

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