AVON and Somerset Police will increase patrols across the force area to tackle anti-social behaviour after receiving dedicated funding from the Home Office.

From May 2024, the operation will see uniformed police officers, PCSOs and partner agencies working thousands of hours of additional patrols, engaging with members of the public and businesses, and disrupting the activity of perpetrators. 

A police statement said: “Whether classified as criminal behaviour or not, persistent anti-social behaviour can have a devastating impact on individuals and communities, so we are committed to proactively addressing the issue as part of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan.

“The plan puts forward ‘an ambitious new approach to working with local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour across England and Wales’.”  

Uniformed patrols targeting ASB have already been piloted by 10 police services nationwide and achieved positive results. Reports of ASB fell by 38.5 per cent across Essex in a 12-month period with 9,416 fewer offences recorded.

Partnership working will be vital in the effort to problem-solve and address the biggest ASB challenges within communities – different agencies deal with different types of ASB, and intelligence shared between the police, local authorities, social housing associations and early intervention teams can help build a picture of where the main issues are.