Examples of anti-social behaviour that are a crime and can be dealt with by police include:

• Vandalism that is linked to threatening and/or offensive behaviour
• Graffiti linked to threatening and/or offensive behaviour (e.g. involving racism or other hate crimes)
• Buying drugs on the street
• Drinking on the street
• Threatening or drunken behaviour
• Setting off fireworks late at night
• Off road motor bikes.

Why is anti-social behaviour a problem?

Anti-social behaviour makes life unpleasant, and creates a climate of fear for the community. Often more serious crime can occur as a result of anti-social behaviour.

How we deal with anti-social behaviour

When we receive a call about anti-social behaviour, we may not send an officer straight away, as can often be the case with anti-social behaviour, the problem has stopped by the time the call has been made. In some cases we do attend straight away. In other cases, an appointment is made for a local beat officer to visit at a later time. People can also arrange to meet officers at their local police station.

Our Police Community Support Officers and council staff target anti-social behaviour in local parks and other public open spaces. Joint patrols, set up with youth services, lead to the seizure of alcohol from young people. Youth workers engage those involved, getting them signed up to activities that divert them away from causing trouble.

Where the behaviour is of a more serious nature, formal enforcement such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) and Civil Injunctions (which recently replaced the ASBO) will be considered. This involves a variety of people from different organisations working with victims to record and collect evidence of the offending behaviour.