Mounted police are helping to rein-in anti-social behaviour

Life is a journey. And ever since I was elected your Commissioner I have also been on a journey, in response to what residents tell me. That they want our police to be more visible and have a clear focus on tackling anti-social behaviour.

So far, the journey has been very successful, with a cut of some 60% in the level of anti-social behaviour (ASB) across the County.  Instead of our rate of ASB being well above the national average, as it used to be for many years, we are now well below the national average. But that still leaves 40% to suppress. 

Actually, it is more than 40%, as people often fail to report the ASB they see for a number of possible reasons. Perhaps they think someone else will report it, perhaps they lack the time to call the police, or maybe they think the police will do nothing?

Well, we have significantly improved our reporting mechanisms, so that if you call our 101 non-emergency line, you are likely to be answered within about a minute, making it much easier than it used to be.  Our website has also been modified so you can report ASB online. 

Before the last election, we secured £1M from the Government to pay overtime for our neighbourhood police, so you should now be seeing many more officers - including our mounted section - patrolling the streets in order to deter ASB and deal with offenders swiftly. 

During a recent week of action, the Constabulary deployed extra patrols around the county, focusing on some of the areas regarded as ASB Hotspots. One of the biggest single operations saw more than 50 officers in the centre of Cheltenham, dealing with things like street drinking, aggressive begging and unruly behaviour from out-of-town travellers.

We now have more than 200 CCTV cameras monitoring these so-called hotspots.  Persistent problems are also being addressed through our ASB Case Review process, which has seen a fivefold increase in cases over the last year.

The next objective is to clear out organised criminality operating deep within our communities.  This will target all kinds of ASB, including those I have already mentioned, as well as the more serious drug dealing, shoplifting and vehicle crime.  If you want more action to rid our communities of ASB, please report what you see on 101 or our website.