Following the Government’s pledge to clamp down on antisocial behaviour (ASB) the Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan was launched in March 2023.
Under the plan, 16 areas in England and Wales will be funded to support new hotspot police and enforcement patrols in areas with the highest rates of antisocial behaviour.
In addition, ASB hotspots will also trial a new Immediate Justice scheme to deliver swift and visible punishments.
A select few areas, including Cleveland, will trial both interventions. Following the initial trailblazer pilots, both schemes will be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024.
The bid
Cleveland has been allocated up to £1,000,000 from the Home Office.
Funding will support ASB hotspot patrols in Cleveland from July 2023 to March 2024.
Hotspots have been identified through rigorous analysis of data from Cleveland Police, local authorities and Cleveland Fire Brigade. Data identifies locations where ASB disproportionately affects communities.
In addition to identifying key locations, data is being used to identify key days and times affected by ASB.
The aim
The Cleveland model will utilise Local Authority enforcement staff to undertake the hotspot patrols. Local Authority partners have confirmed support for this approach
Initially, this will be done with existing staff members, with the intention of recruiting additional capacity to support the hotspot patrols approach.
Metrics will be captured in relation to numbers of patrols and enforcement activity and this will be used to evaluate the success of the initiative. In addition to this the Home Office will be conducting community surveys in a dip sample of areas to understand community impact.