It is important to report anti-social
behaviour, as ignoring it could lead to more serious crimes
cropping up in the future.
A range of measures exist for curbing anti-social behaviour and
include:
- Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
- Anti-Social Behaviour Orders
- Curfew Schemes
- Parenting Orders
- Fixed Penalty Notices
- Civil injunctions and Orders obtained through the County
Court.
Further information is available on the Home Office's anti-social
behaviour website.
The responsibility for tackling anti-social behaviour
effectively rests with a variety of local agencies and the local
community, who work together to solve the offending behaviour. By
combining the expertise and powers of organisations such as local
councils, police, social housing landlords, fire and rescue
services, anti-social behaviour can be tackled in the most
effective way.
What happens when I call the police about anti-social
behaviour?
Cheshire Constabulary takes around 2,900 emergency calls
every week, in addition to nearly 7,000 non-999
calls. Each time our trained call takers listen and record
the details of the anti-social behaviour, they make an
assessment of what we need to do. Using their expertise and
experience they explain to the caller exactly what will happen
next and when they can expect to be contacted about the
situation.
We may not send an officer straight away, as can often be the
case with anti-social behaviour; the problem has stopped by the
time the call has been made. In some cases we do attend straight
away, but in other cases, an appointment is made for a
neighbourhood officer to visit at a later time. People can also
arrange to meet officers at the police station.
Dealing with anti-social behaviour in communities
A large proportion of the anti-social behaviour reported to
Cheshire Police involves rowdy, loud or drunken behaviour.
Issues like this can’t just be solved by the police, so we work
with the community and people from other public bodies who also
have a duty to solve problems of anti-social behaviour.
Our Police Community Support Officers and council staff
target anti-social behaviour in local parks. Joint
patrols, set up with youth services, lead to the seizure of alcohol
from young people. Youth workers engage those involved, getting
them signed up to activities that divert them away from causing
trouble. Where the behaviour is of a more serious nature, formal
enforcement such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Anti-Social
Behaviour Orders will be considered. This involves a variety of
people from different organisations working with victims to record
and collect evidence of the offending behaviour.
Watch schemes
Watch schemes allow Cheshire residents and businesses
to work together to help the Constabulary tackle crime and
anti-social behaviour.
Not only do they improve the security of homes and
businesses, they can provide real peace of mind. By
joining a Home Watch scheme, you and your
neighbours can have a significant impact in enhancing the quality
of life within your immediate neighbourhood.
Within Cheshire there are a number of other Watch schemes in
operation including:
- Shop Watch
- Farm Watch
- Forecourt Watch
- Jewellery Watch
- PubWatch
You can find out more by visiting the Watch section of our website.