Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner reaffirms commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour

Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has pledged to work with other agencies in the county and create a toolbox to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

His pledge comes at the start of anti-social behaviour week, a national campaign which runs from today (Monday July 18) until Friday (July 22) and looks at issues such as what anti-social behaviour is, how to report it and what to do if you feel your voice isn’t being heard.

Anti-social behaviour was one of the main priorities that respondents to the PCC’s “Use Your Voice” survey wanted Wiltshire Police to deal with and the Police and Crime Commissioner understands their worries:

“Following the results of my Use Your Voice survey and from talking to residents, businesses and councillors across Wiltshire, it’s clear to me that anti-social behaviour is a huge concern for them. Vandalism, street drinking, irresponsible driving and other unacceptable behaviours leave people feeling alarmed, harassed and ultimately unsafe in their local community.

“I was made aware by our residents right from the beginning of my tenure as PCC how ASB, often fuelled by illegal substance abuse blights the lives of many. Hence tackling ASB has and will continue to have a high priority in my Police and Crime Plan.

“As I have discovered tackling ASB requires a multi-agency approach and not just a response from the police.

“Consequently, I am working with the local authorities and many non-government partners to develop a tool box of responses that will allow my office and the police to create a bespoke response plan wherever and whenever ASB rears its ugly head in the County.

“We have already had some success with this approach in Downton and Devizes but we still have a lot more to do"

“Last week, I went to Malmesbury where, along with members of the council, local schools and Wiltshire Police, I spoke to people about the problems and how we’re going to solve them together

“Further meetings in other parts of the county are already in my diary so I can speak to as many people as possible about the plans to resolve this issue

“Not all ASB is a crime which is why it needs a joint approach.

“I want to reassure people that I will do what I can to ensure all agencies take these reports seriously and use their collective resources to stamp it out” 

ASB is defined as behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to those not living in the same household.

There are three main categories for ASB:

• Personal ASB is when a person targets a specific individual or group.
• Nuisance ASB is when a person causes trouble, annoyance or suffering to a community.
• Environmental ASB is when a person’s actions affect the wider environment, such as public spaces or buildings.

Running from July 18 to July 22, ASB Awareness Week aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the options available to those facing it. The week is bringing together people and organisations from across the country to take a stand and work together to make communities safer.

Organised by community safety specialists Resolve, ASB Awareness Week is being backed by the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Local Government Association (LGA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC).