Surrey Police shines spotlight on anti-social behaviour in Epsom and the County
Last week, as part of a national ASB Awareness Week, Surrey Police‘s safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) joined forces with partners to shine a spotlight on anti-social behaviour (ASB) across Surrey including Epsom and Ewell, and to raise awareness of the many different ways in which they can tackle ASB within communities and provide help and support to those affected.
Epsom and Ewell Beat were out on Longmead Estate raising awareness of ASB issues with the local council and Rosebery Housing.
On social media, they spent the week sharing advice and guidance on anti-social behaviour and where to report instances in your local area. The posts touched on criminal damage such as graffiti, neighbour disputes, the Community Trigger, fly-tipping, and vehicle nuisance.
ASB is not low level and can have a huge impact on the lives of individuals and communities. Jo Grimshaw, who leads on tackling ASB for the Force said: “Our teams work hard to deal with anti-social behaviour on a daily basis – it’s part of Surrey Police’s core business. The national week of action gives us the opportunity to highlight the work they do to protect people and communities from those who think it’s acceptable to behave in a threatening, aggressive or anti-social manner. We work closely with Surrey Police’s partners to ensure that ASB victims can be referred to the appropriate agency if they are better placed to offer support and get the right outcome. If a civil resolution cannot be reached, there are a range of enforcement options available, including warning letters, closure orders, criminal behaviour orders and criminal prosecution.”
If you have reported an incident three or more times in six months and feel you are not being listened to or that the issues are still happening or escalating, you are entitled to ask for a review of your case. This is called the Community Trigger, and you can activate it through your Local Authority:
https://asbhelp.co.uk/community-trigger/community-trigger-directory/
In the last year Surrey Police have issued across the County:
· 47 Closure Orders
· 9 Criminal Behaviour Orders
· 57 Reactive Dispersal Orders
· Over 300 warning letters.
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These orders are proving very effective in reducing the behaviour of those committing ASB, as well as giving some respite to residents and the community.
It can be really confusing for victims to work out which agency is responsible for tackling each of the different types of ASB.
If you are a victim of ASB or know someone who is being exploited in your area, please let Surrey Police know so they can take action. For more information on the reporting options available to you visit: