Community wardens and diversionary workers have delivered over 11,000 hours of extra support to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in town centres and residential areas over the last six months.
In July 2023, Staffordshire benefited from £1m government funding for uniformed ‘hotspot’ patrols in Burton, Fenton, Hanley and Etruria, Stafford, Newcastle and Cannock.
Community wardens and diversionary workers were introduced in each of these areas in May this year as part of the next phase of the initiative led by the Staffordshire Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams.
They are based at local Police stations and work alongside policing colleagues and other partners to not only identify and tackle ASB, but to understand the root cause of it in communities.
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams said: “We currently have 20 community wardens and diversionary workers making a difference in areas that were identified as ‘hotspots’ for anti-social behaviour last year.
“Since then, the wardens have worked hard to build relationships with the police, partner agencies and perhaps most importantly, members of the community that they see out on patrol each day.
“I visited each of the warden teams over the last six months and it’s been a pleasure to see the passion they have for making our community a safer place to be.”
Over the last 12 months, reports of ASB have decreased by more than 20% in five out of the six ‘hotspot’ areas where the warden’s scheme has been introduced:
- Burton Urban: -26%
- Cannock South & West: -31%
- Etruria & Hanley- +28%
- Fenton West & Mount Pleasant: -25%
- Newcastle Town: -35%
- Stafford Town: -36%
Chief Inspector Laura Davies, anti-social behaviour (ASB) lead for the force, said: “We continue to work diligently in our local communities, especially in areas identified as anti-social behaviour hotspots, including parts of Hanley and Etruria.
“Our officers regularly carry out patrols and community engagement events to help provide reassurance and to encourage people to report any instances of criminality as we work to keep those who live, work and visit Staffordshire safe.
“As a result of encouraging more people to report incidents to us, we have seen an increase in the amount of records we have received relating to ASB and this has allowed us to continue to work in a targeted and tailored way to address any problems.
“I would encourage anyone who has been affected by ASB to contact us, as you will be listened to and what you tell us will be acted on, as part of our commitment to tackle issues facing our communities day-in, day-out.”
The community wardens are just one element of the Staffordshire Commissioner’s ongoing commitment to tackling ASB across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, which includes:
- Funding three new mobile police stations operating across Staffordshire and Stoke on-Trent to bolster visibility and accessibility. The mobile stations allow people living, working or visiting these areas to speak to neighbourhood officers and share any concerns.
- Committing over £900k a year to local Community Safety Partnerships to prevent and reduce crime and ASB.
- Campaigns funded by the government’s Safer Streets fund to inform the public about how to report ASB, as well as tackling the cause by educating offenders on the impacts of ASB and the consequences of breaching Public Space Protection Orders. Previous Safer Streets funding saw practical partnership measures like CCTV, gating and improved lighting in targeted areas, combined with awareness campaigns and education programmes, to tackle ASB and violence against women and girls.
- A campaign to raise awareness of the ASB Case Review, a powerful tool allowing repeat victims to request action if they have reported incidents but are unhappy with the response they received.
- The summer Space programme, relaunched in 2015, brings together public, voluntary and private sector organisations to provide activities for young people to help increase their skills, improve their health and wellbeing and create opportunities, while also aiming to reduce levels of ASB. Since being relaunched, Space has contributed to an 81% reduction in youth ASB during the summer period.
- The Harmony ASB and Mediation Service, commissioned by the Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office, has been delivered by Victim Support since 2021 to provided practical and emotional support to people impacted by ASB.
- The Community Remedy, designed to give victims of low-level crime and ASB a greater say in how offenders are dealt with. It allows Police and partners to deal with low-level crime and manage offenders within the community, in consultation with the victim. Victims should be able to see the offender putting right what they have done wrong, or participating in an activity that deters them from re-offending.
