Anti-social Behaviour Week

How much do you really know about anti-social behaviour?

It’s a phrase that the police use all the time but do you know what is and isn’t ASB and more importantly would you know who to contact if you were suffering from the effects of it?

The Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week which starts on Monday 17 July, aims to answer these questions and highlight the ongoing work of Surrey Police and partner agencies to clamp down on behaviour that has a real impact on the lives of individuals or communities.

Superintendent Duncan Greenhalgh, Surrey Police Lead on Anti-social Behaviour (ASB), said: “My motivation for joining Surrey Police just over 29 years ago was a strong desire to keep people safe and make a difference to people’s lives. This still holds true today and it gives me enormous satisfaction when I see how the Surrey Police ASB team work with partners, victims and offenders to tackle issues, find solutions and prevent them from recurring.

“Just recently we received an email from a resident in Ashford whose road was blighted by the excessive shouting and abusive foul language from the family living at the property. After a Closure Order had been obtained on the property the resident expressed his thanks:

“Last night was bliss at home. We were able to stand out in the street and enjoy the evening. It was like a pressure had been lifted. It was so peaceful. You have no idea how much of a help you have been.”

Superintendent Greenhalgh continued: “Where there’s a problem with ASB, we try to help perpetrators understand the impact of their actions and discourage further unwanted behaviour. We often find that the police is not the best service to help individuals so we would refer them to specialist agencies who are better placed to support those with complex needs. Where ASB issues can’t be resolved by those concerned or by mediation we have a range of enforcement options available including warning letters, fixed penalty notices and for more serious cases - prosecution.”

Since last July the ASB team has issued 23 Criminal Behaviour Orders, 3 Anti-social Behaviour Injunctions, 26 premises associated with persistent ASB have been closed. Several Community Protection Notices and Warning Letters have also been issued by local authorities to tackle issues such as barking/uncontrolled dogs, hoarding and other environmental issues. These orders and notices are proving very effective in getting the perpetrators to stop their behaviour.

The ASB Awareness Week aims to help ensure residents understand what ASB is, which organisation deals with which type of ASB and what can be done to tackle it so that local issues can be quickly resolved. To help with this, a one-stop-shop ASB information website is now available at www.surreycommunitysafety.org.uk. This website also details what self-help options - such as mediation - are available and who problems should be reported to. It also explains more about the Community Trigger which gives victims a greater say in the way their complaints of ASB are dealt with.