Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary backs Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week to help tackle ASB

This week we are supporting Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week, the aim of which is to encourage communities to take a stand against anti-social behaviour and to highlight the help that is available to those facing it.

Anti-social behaviour is defined as behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to someone not of the same household as the person, and can take many forms and often can form part of a criminal offence.

Officers take all reports of ASB extremely seriously and have recently worked with partners to carry out the following work:

• Basingstoke: Officers secured two partial closure orders in one week as they continue to clamp down on anti-social behaviour in the town.
• Farnborough: A prolific offender was jailed after breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order which banned him from entering Rushmoor for two years.
• Aldershot: A prolific offender was jailed after breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order which banned him from entering Aldershot for two years.
• Yateley/Fleet: Officers worked with partners and attended a school to speak with students about ASB and a man was jailed after stealing items from shops in Fleet and Church Crookham.
• Andover: A woman was jailed for breaching her Criminal Behaviour Order in Andover and a man was jailed after he stole items from stores in the town.
• Winchester/Petersfield/Alton: Officers investigating an illegal car meet have seized eight cars and a motorcycle.
• Southampton: Officers secured a full closure order at an address on Ridding Close in Shirley following reports of drug-related anti-social behaviour.
• New Milton: A teenager was arrested following reports of ASB and criminality in the New Milton area.
• Portsmouth: Patrols were upped at key times as part of Op Nautical (our response to ASB over the summer months). This helped prevent the levels of ASB previously seen on Southsea seafront.
• Havant: Officers secured and enforced several dispersal orders in hotspot areas during periods of repeated ASB, resulting in a prolific offender being arrested for criminal damage.
• Gosport: A prolific shoplifter was jailed and handed a Criminal Behaviour Order after she stole items and assaulted women in Gosport.
• Fareham: A woman was arrested on suspicion of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order following an incident in the town centre.
• Isle of Wight: A woman was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order following continuous issues in Newport.

ASB and Business Crime Police Sergeant Chris Collins said: “Our officers take all reports of anti-social behaviour extremely seriously because we know the impact it has on all of our communities.

“We are committed to our ongoing work, alongside partner agencies, in tackling any ASB-related problems experienced by people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

“We have dedicated officers and teams in all areas and in recent weeks we have secured a number of closure orders across the force area. 

“Offenders have received Criminal Behaviour Orders which seek to limit their anti-social behaviour that negatively impacts the community and officers have also continued to seize cars linked to an illegal car meet which had a huge impact on a large number of people.

“Unfortunately, we know that some people don’t report anti-social behaviour when they see it or experience it. Please know that every report you make helps us to take action, and we are better able to tackle these problems when people report what is happening within their community, so please tell us.”

We have lots of information about the different types of anti-social behaviour which can be found here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/

If you see or experience any anti-social behaviour that may be causing a risk to yourself or someone else, or which you think may be a crime, then please report to the police by calling 101, or report online: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/. In an emergency always call 999.