Tackling domestic abuse, disrupting organised crime and improving safety within the night-time economy are some of the priorities local agencies in Swindon will focus on over the next three years.
Anti-Social Behaviour officers and the Environmental Team, with Wiltshire Police, tackled fly-tipping and graffiti across Broadgreen and Pinehurst during ASB Awareness Week 2024
The priorities form part of a new strategy launched by Swindon’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP), which sets out a clear vision for tackling crime, reducing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and supporting vulnerable residents within the Borough.
The new strategy also aims to improve the feeling of safety among residents and tackle violence against women and girls.
Previous priorities delivered by Swindon CSP under its last strategy include a new multi-agency forum for addressing persistent anti-social behaviour cases and an offender panel, which has overseen the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders to deter repeat offenders.
The council has set out a commitment through its Swindon Plan to reduce incidents of ASB-reported crime by three per cent year on year.
It has already made a good start on that target with new data available to the council indicating that anti-social behaviour fell by 10 per cent between 2023 (355 recorded incidents of ASB) and 2024 (316 incidents).
The reduction of ASB-related crime across Swindon has been supported by the work of Swindon’s Community Safety Partnership, which is a statutory partnership made up of the council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Wiltshire Police, NHS Integrated Care Board, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, and the Probation Service.
A number of interventions took place in 2024 to combat ASB, including the introduction of new Community Safety Wardens, thanks to funding from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund.
Councillor Jim Grant, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, said: “Everyone in Swindon deserves to feel safe in their home and their community. That’s why reducing anti-social behaviour was a key target within the Swindon Plan, and I’m pleased that we have significantly exceeded our aims within the first year.
“However, we still have a lot of work to do, and this new strategy sets out a clear, collaborative plan for how we’ll work with partners and residents to address the root causes of crime and anti-social behaviour so we create safer neighbourhoods across the Borough, helping us to build a fairer Swindon for everyone.”
Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, said: “Anti-social behaviour continues to be the primary concern that residents raise with me and it’s one of the priorities in my Police and Crime Plan to reduce anti-social behaviour and serious violence in Wiltshire and Swindon.
“I have to be clear that anti-social behaviour is not a low-level crime and for repeat victims, its impact can be overwhelming with no escape from the often-accompanying intimidation, threats and fear.
“While statistics tell us that anti-social behaviour has decreased in Wiltshire and Swindon by 10.3% in the last year and residents may be feeling safer as a result, we know that ASB will never go away and consequently we will ensure that we do not lose momentum in our efforts to tackle ASB.
“Through working together within the structure of the Community Safety Partnership and having a better understanding of the causes and consequences of ASB, we will continue to fund initiatives such as the ASB Street wardens and the PL Kicks scheme in Swindon. Working closely with SBC and other partners we are determined to make the necessary improvements for our residents to feel safer in the communities where they live and work.”
Chief Inspector for Swindon Neighbourhoods Carly Nesbitt said: “Anti-social behaviour is sometimes described as a relatively low-level crime, but we know that is not the case.
“It can have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of those who experience it, leading to increased stress or anxiety, and individuals potentially feeling unsafe in their homes or public spaces.
“It can also have a financial impact on businesses who are in proximity to antisocial behaviour as it can lead to the public avoiding those areas.
“Our statistics show that we have seen a reduction in anti-social behaviour within Swindon over the past year compared to the previous year, but we know there is much more work to be done.
“One of Chief Constable Catherine Roper’s priorities is to create Safer Public Spaces for all, and the focus on anti-social behaviour in the Community Safety Partnership will work to achieve that by harnessing the joint efforts of the various agencies involved.”
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