Organisations from across the region united to tackle anti-social behaviour at the annual summit hosted by the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside.
Opened by Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison, the event brought together representatives from East Riding, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and Hull City councils along with Humberside Police and other organisations determined to address the multiple issues covered under the anti-social behaviour (ASB) label.
Mr Evison said: “Through our public consultation we know that anti-social behaviour remains one of the biggest areas of concern for people across the region. We also know how significant the impact can be on the lives of those who have suffered as a result.
“ASB itself is such a broad term and tackling the huge range of issues within it is an incredibly complex task which requires the work of multiple organisations including policing, education, housing and environmental agencies.
“Close, collaborative working is therefore essential in delivering the best possible outcomes for victims of ASB. Our annual summit plays a key role in bringing organisations together to share ideas and best practice, as well as forging those strong partnership bonds.
“It was heartening to see such a strong attendance and hear of the fine work underway and planned for the future.”
Mr Evison joined leads from the four local authorities and Humberside Police in reaffirming the ASB Help Pledge, which commits organisations to embedding best practice into policy and procedures. This aims to ensure victims of persistent ASB are given a voice and partners work together on problem-solving to reach a satisfactory outcome.
A representative from ASB Help provided an overview of the organisation’s work before accepting the Pledge.
Held for a third consecutive year, the summit saw superintendent Doug Blackwood present on Humberside Police’s action plan on ASB while representatives from the four local councils provided an overview of activities and successes.
Attendees took part in a pair of workshops from which the information provided will be used to improve responses and procedures in the future. One workshop looked at the issues of fly-tipping and littering while the other called upon participants to discuss specific problems encountered in their areas and assess how they were handled as well as looking at potential improvements that could have been made.
Superintendent Blackwood – ASB lead for Humberside Police – said: “ASB is not low level – it devastates the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.
“It’s our job to change that, and we work tirelessly to tackle ASB across our force through preventative and diversionary work with prolific offenders and juveniles, proactive patrols in key hotspots, school engagement, and, as always, working closely with partners to deliver community-based activities to help divert people away from anti-social behaviour and other associated crimes.
“Ultimately, we couldn’t do any of this without the support from our local communities, and working with and alongside you, we build strong relationships that help us to understand your needs and priorities.
“When we receive this information from our communities, we put this together with the things that our officers see and hear to build up the bigger picture. This might mean you don’t always see immediate action, but be reassured this allows us to fully understand a situation and consequently enables us to take appropriate action to address those concerns in the right way, equipped with all the knowledge to allow us to not only react but offer a proactive problem-solving approach to prevent the crimes from happening in the first place.”
