Police and council working to tackle anti-social behaviour

Police and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council have reaffirmed their commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Officers and the council took part in a series of events to mark ASB Awareness Week, which ran across the country from Monday 30 to Sunday 6 July.

The week aimed to increase the public’s understanding of ASB, how and who to report it to and their rights in relation to it. The overarching theme and hashtag for the week was #MakingCommunitiesSafer.

The week began with an ASB surgery hosted jointly at the council office in Welwyn Garden City. Residents could drop in for advice and support.

There were also local housing providers at the surgery, as well as Beacon, an organisation that provides support to victims of crime in Hertfordshire.

A social media campaign ran throughout the week on the Welwyn Hatfield Police, Herts Police and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council social media accounts, signposting followers to support and highlighting the work being done to tackle ASB. 

Patrols targeting ASB hotspots were also conducted. This included King George V Playing Fields in Welwyn Garden City and heritage sites like the former Shredded Wheat factory, a Grade II listed building. The site often attracts trespassers tempted to do ‘urban exploring’ but it is dangerous with large open drops and other hazards.

Officers also attended a special conference hosted by Bedfordshire Police to share knowledge and expertise around tackling ASB. The conference focused on the new ASB legislation being introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill. There was insight into the new Respect Orders which will effectively make breaching a Civil Injunction an imprisonable criminal offence. There was also dialogue around ASB Case Reviews* for which there will be a greater onus on agencies to advertise, as well as an increased involvement from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office. There was also discussion around improvements that can be made to the current Criminal Behaviour Order application process. 

Sergeant Neil Gordon, from the Welwyn Hatfield Community Safety Unit, said: “We work closely with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council all year round to tackle ASB and this awareness week gave as an opportunity to remind the public of the help that is available.

“I hope residents found the ASB surgery helpful. We will be organising more and these will be advertised in due course.

“We know the impact that ASB can have on your quality of life and we remain committed to tackling it.”

Councillor Sandreni Bonfante, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Executive Member for Environment said: “Reducing ASB in our borough continues to be a priority for the Council and ASB Week was an opportunity for us to reaffirm our commitment to tackling this issue, working in partnership with our colleagues in Herts Police.  I would like to thank Council and Police officers for organising the events over ASB Week and I would encourage anyone that witnesses ASB incidents to report them directly to the Police or through the independent charity Crimestoppers.”

For advice and support about ASB, visit herts.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/ 

You can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org

* If you’ve reported anti-social behaviour, but the problem continues, you can request a formal case review through an ASB case Review (formerly known as a Community trigger). This brings together the police, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, housing providers and other partners to review and take further action if needed. Visit welhat.gov.uk/community-safety/trigger