Most forces need to improve how they identify and record antisocial behaviour, forces need to improve how they identify and protect vulnerable people, and police training on antisocial behaviour (ASB) is inconsistent, says an official inspectors’ report into the police.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman said: “Antisocial behaviour is a blight on many in our communities. It is sometimes perceived, and referred to, as low-level crime by the police, public and media. However, this doesn’t reflect the profound impact and trauma it can have on victims.
“It is vital forces understand the complexity and prevalence of antisocial behaviour, and key to this is effective early intervention. While there are good examples of the police working hard, there are challenges faced, including difficulties sharing data due to inadequate IT systems and a lack of analytical expertise. dditionally, there can be inconsistent approaches by forces, whether through poor training of officers, limited recording of incidents and the evaluation of outcomes.
“The police must and can do better. In my recommendations, I urge forces to recognise the importance of how they and their partners identify, record and respond to antisocial behaviour. Our communities must feel confident their local force will tackle it effectively.”
Among the good work found and mentioned by the inspectors in their report was Lancashire Police’s partnership approach in Operation Morano, to respond to youths congregating in public spaces in the Skelmersdale area and bothering businesses; as featured in the May edition of Professional Security Magazine.
Also, a housing association provided accommodation for women from outside its area who were potentially vulnerable to exploitation. The risk of antisocial behaviour incidents was addressed with the housing association, and a neighbourhood watch scheme set up. Most forces are good at sharing data with partners, the inspection found; forces can use section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to promote information-sharing between partners to reduce crime and disorder. The report gave the example of Cumbria Police, who use Microsoft Teams whereby a case updated by one partner (such as a council, the fire service, and registered social landlords) is visible to all who have access to that case. The report stated that a ‘joined-up approach’ to recording and using data helps deal with the ASB itself.
Although the inspection found difficulties in integrating IT, it could point to good practice, such as by Humberside Police which has developed a vulnerability tracker, ‘so it can produce up-to-date vulnerability demand reports’.
Defining ASB matters; antisocial behaviour incidents make up a substantial number of incidents that the police deal with, the inspectors pointed out; about 1one million incidents in the year ending September 2023; many classified as nuisance. As for how people actually define ASB problems, the report named litter, people using or dealing drugs, and teenagers hanging around on the streets; while the antisocial behaviour most likely to be reported to the police was related to issues with neighbours. The report described the understanding the scale of ASB as ‘challenging’.
For the official report, The policing response to antisocial behaviour: PEEL spotlight, visit the HMICFRS website.
Background
Last month the Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove expressed her frustration that victims of persistent anti-social behaviour still face many of the same challenges she encountered, which ultimately led to her husband Garry’s death. For her report, Still living a nightmare: Understanding the experiences of victims of anti-social behaviour, visit the Victims’ Commissioner website.
