Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones is tackling anti-social behaviour head-on this summer by funding specialist ASB wardens jointly with councils across the police force area.
The Commissioner has allocated £750k to reduce ASB which will fund specialist ASB wardens employed by local authorities. The ASB officers will carry out patrols in ASB hotspot locations identified through police data.
A new way to tackle anti-social behaviour
The move is a new way to tackle anti-social behaviour in partnership with local authorities to free up police officer time to respond to crimes and emergencies during the busiest period of the year.
The number of hours and patrols carried out by the ASB wardens will be monitored and reported to the Home Office to track the positive effect and reduction in offending.
Jones: Dedicated wardens will reduce pressure on police officers responding to ASB
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said,
“The summer is a busy period for policing. Crime reports shows anti-social behaviour increases during the summer months. If not managed, issues can escalate into more serious crimes putting pressure on policing resources.
“The public have told me they want ASB to reduce and by working with councils I’ve been able to ensure we have more boots on the ground in the right locations to prevent anti-social behaviour.
“The presence of uniformed ASB wardens has been proven to have a positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour. These dedicated wardens will reduce the pressure on police officers responding to ASB, whilst working closely with neighbourhood policing teams to ensuring the extra police time is spent on responding to crimes in action.”
Part of a £1.4million grant
The £750k was part of a £1.4million grant from the Home Officer to the Police and Crime Commissioner. The money was allocated to police forces by the previous government to specifically tackle anti-social behaviour, drive down crime in hotspot areas and boost public confidence.
The programme started in June with ASB Wardens already in post.
The Police and Crime Commissioner will report on the findings at the end of the summer period.
Funding allocated:
- Portsmouth £150,000
- Rushmoor £75,000
- Eastleigh £37,500
- Havant and Waterlooville £75,000
- Southampton £112,500
- Fareham £37,500
- Gosport £75,000
- Winchester £37,500
- Basingstoke £37,500
- Isle of Wight £75,000
- Test Valley £37,500
News shared by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, in their own words. Ed
