Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is encouraging residents to make use of a Community Remedy framework to help tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) across the county as part of national ASB week.

The Community Remedy is a list of potential consequences that first time and low-level offenders may face and means local people can have a say in how offenders should face up to their actions and make amends, while providing victims of low-level crimes and anti-social behaviour with a route for swifter justice.

These remedies can be administered through an Out of Court Disposal managed by the Police, rather than having to go through the criminal justice system.

It also ensures offenders have to face immediate consequences for their actions, which could make them less likely to re-offend in the future.

PCC Philip Wilkinson, who has made tackling crimes which matter to local communities as a key priority for Wiltshire Police in his Police and Crime Plan, said: “Wiltshire and Swindon’s residents deserve safer communities and that is why having strategies like Community Remedy ready to help is a vital element to that.

“There is still so much more work to do to meet the challenges our local communities have, head-on, but we have had some recent successes in Downton and Devizes, where community involvement and partnership working are really starting pay off.

“The aim of Community Remedy is to have another tool to help in that fight – with this strategy, we can improve local involvement in the accountability of those who commit low-level crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Together, the Chief Constable and I have agreed we will work with our communities and partners to make Wiltshire safer, and this document will be reviewed periodically to ensure it continues to evolve and meet the needs of our communities.”

The Community Remedy is just one of a number of tools which can be used to help fight anti-social behaviour in communities.

It can be used alongside increased intelligence reporting to Wiltshire Police, use of Safer Streets funding by local authorities on certain projects and communities and organisations working together to access the Commissioner's Community Action Fund to help with diversionary activities. 

Chief Constable Catherine Roper said: “Victims remain at the heart of everything my officers, staff and volunteers do at Wiltshire Police.

“In order to provide an improved service for victims, we must listen to them and give them the opportunity to tell us how they would like their case to be resolved.

“We also recognise that offending is driven by different factors, and that a more considered approach to criminal justice and holding people to account for their actions – including utilising educational and partnership opportunities – may be more appropriate to reduce future offending.

“We will not tolerate criminality or behaviour which causes harm or misery and we will work with victims and communities to bring offenders to justice and keep Wiltshire safe.”

You can read the full Community Remedy document:
Community Remedy for Wiltshire and Swindon.pdf