Public urged to report anti-social behaviour

Members of the public and organisations have come together to mark the Uk's first Anti-Social behaviour awareness week.

The week, which concludes tomorrow - 25 July - has been organised by community safety specialists Resolve and is backed by the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local Government Association, National Police Chiefs’ Council and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council to raise awareness and take a stand.

Chief Inspector Liz Coles said: “We accept that it has been a difficult year for many, and with the recent lifting of restrictions we know some people will be looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality.

“I ask that when getting back to your normality you do so in a manner that is thoughtful and respectful and try to be understanding and aware of how your behaviours could impact others.

“We take anti-social behaviour very seriously, it is always on the agenda and every day our Community Policing Teams take action to provide a visible presence and target hotspots. 

“If you are a victim or a witnessed of antisocial behaviour, please report it to us. Your information could help to build a better picture of an incident and together with local authority and community partners we can take steps to resolve it.”

 Rebecca Bryant OBE, chief executive of Resolve, said: “We need to change the way we think about anti-social behaviour. It is not low-level crime. It devastates the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.  

“As the nation begins to recover from the impact of the pandemic and our society and economy celebrates the start of return to normal life, it is important that the challenge of anti-social behaviour continues to be given the priority it needs nationally and locally so that people feel safe in their homes and communities.  

“We are delighted to have Wiltshire Police involved in this hugely important and successful campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around anti-social behaviour.  Everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and community.” 

Anti-social behaviour can be reported online using the reporting form on the Wiltshire Police website at https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb/report-antisocial-behaviour/  Reports are dealt with in exactly the same way as a 101 call. Wiltshire Police says if the call is urgent then the number is 999, for everything else, start online.

More information about ASB awareness week can be found at www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek