Antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour and what can be done to stop it has increasingly come under the spotlight in recent years. Here in East Hampshire we have several strategies.
Traffic Light System
When the police or Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) or Accredited Community Safety Officer (ACSO) stop a young person regarding anti social behaviour, they send information to the Community Safety Team and we contact their parents. We send a letter to parents/guardians telling them what their child has been doing. For example, a parent may receive a letter advising them that their 15 year old daughter was stopped for drinking alcohol in a park at 11pm. The letter will include the location, date and time. We also send relevant leaflets relating to drugs and alcohol.
The police hand deliver second warning letters. This includes a range of support available to try and stop the behaviour.
On the third occasion an official meeting is set up between the individual and their parents (if they are under 17) and police and the Anti-Social Behaviour Officer. The purpose of the meeting is to make it clear that if they continue to behave anti-socially they are likely to be managed through an Acceptable Behaviour Agreement (ABA). If this does not work we can consider an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO). This is a court order and if breached the person faces a prison term or a fine of up to £5,000.
'Wrong time, wrong place' letters
Where police are called to an area because of anti-social behaviour, but they don't witness it themselves, we will send something called ‘Wrong Time, Wrong Place’ letters to young people seen in the area.
The letter makes clear the young person was not seen doing anything wrong, but they were in a place where there had been a complaint about anti-social behaviour.
The idea behind these letters is that if a person is continually in the ‘Wrong Place at the Wrong Time’, parents may wish to investigate further. We hope that this will encourage parents to take more ownership of their child’s activities in these circumstances and help us to reduce anti-social behaviour (eg talk to their child about where they are going, what they are doing and who they are hanging around with).
We know that most young people are simply enjoying themselves, doing what young people do. These measures are aimed at the small number of young people who behave badly. We apply a similar range of measures to adults. Nationally, more adults have ASBOs than young people.