Every day, hard-working residents across the UK face the distress of anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Unfortunately, ASB is often seen as a minor crime, downplaying its significant impact on individuals and communities.
If ASB is not addressed it can cause mental distress, anxiety, disrupted sleep, relationship breakdowns, and feelings of powerlessness.
Shockingly, research by YouGov reveals that almost one in five adults have considered moving home due to the impact of ASB on their lives.
This is unacceptable, which is why I am committed to adopting a zero-tolerance approach to ASB.
To effectively combat ASB we need to adopt an intelligence-led data-driven approach. Community intelligence is crucial to help us understand ASB patterns and trends and to enable us to tackle the perpetrators.
However, many residents have expressed difficulty in knowing where and who to report ASB to, as well as what to do if they are dissatisfied with the response to their complaint.
To make it easier for residents to report ASB to the most appropriate agency there is now a dedicated section on the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner’s website.
It also explains the steps residents can take if they are dissatisfied with the handling of their complaint.
Addressing ASB requires a collective effort, and myself with partners are committed to tackling this important issue head-on.
So we are urging residents to report ASB so we can adopt an intelligence-led and data-driven approach to help deliver safer, stronger, and more resilient communities.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
