Major change for every UK police force to stop antisocial yobs destroying towns

Police are vowing to crackdown on the crimewave of over one million annual anti-social behaviour incidents that are blighting communities the length and breadth of the country every year. Dedicated operations targeting town centres, street drinking and e-scooters have led to major reductions in criminal and anti-social behaviour in different areas, according to figures collated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council. And they claim a dedicated senior officer is now in place charged with tackling the problem in every police force across England and Wales Millions of people report anti-social behaviour (ASB) to police every year, complaining it is making them feel unsafe in their own homes and towns.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Ten years on from the vote to leave the EU, support us now in our campaign for a proper Brexit.

10p per day for a year, £36.50 for the year.

In Horden, County Durham over the last 12 months there was a 35% fall in reported ASB, impart due to better visibility of bobbies on the beat and better tech to track crime.

Another town centre hot spot in Leamington saw a 90% reduction in violence and ASB through increased enforcement and more youth engagement initiatives.

Now as part of national anti-social behaviour (ASB) awareness week, which is being led by Resolve between 29 June and 5 July, police forces across the UK will be taking further action to disrupt ASB which blights different communities.

The problem remains a significant and deeply damaging issue affecting communities across the UK, with millions of people continuing to experience ASB in their daily lives, and people reporting it had made them feel unsafe, impacted their mental health or caused them to miss work or move home.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Akehurst, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for ASB, said: “What may seem low level to some can, for others, undermine their sense of safety, erode pride in their neighbourhoods, and diminish overall quality of life.

“It can isolate people, damage community cohesion, and weaken the trust that the public places in policing and partner agencies. To tackle this, our intention is to create stronger partnerships that allow us to gather and use local intelligence more effectively.

“Police record more than one million incidents of ASB every year. We are tackling offenders through a variety of tactics from arrests, to stop and search, targeted patrols, closing properties and subjecting criminals to orders which control their behaviour. However, a significant focus for policing has been to improve partnership working when it comes to responding to ASB.”

Over the last year, there has been significant investment from policing and government to improve the response to ASB, as part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG).

Since the guarantee was announced in April 2025, dedicated ASB leads have been appointed in all 43 police forces within England and Wales to work with partners and communities to produce meaningful ASB action plans, which have now been published on force websites, as of April this year.

Another key part of the NPG sets out that neighbourhood policing teams will have tougher powers to tackle persistent ASB.

T/DCC Akehurst added: “Under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, police will have tougher powers to tackle persistent ASB, including new ‘Respect Orders’ to enable swift enforcement against prolific offenders. We are working closely with the Home Office to support the implementation of these new measures once they come into force.

“ASB is not something policing can tackle alone, which is why we are grateful for the support of Resolve to shine a light on this important topic. The public and all partner agencies must work together. We all have a part to play, from ensuring justice is served while prioritising rehabilitation and support to break cycles of criminal and anti-social behaviour.

“Our commitment must extend beyond responding to incidents alone. We must actively listen to our communities, understand the issues that shape their daily lives, and take visible, meaningful action. When this is done well, we not only reduce harm but rebuild confidence and resilience where it is most needed."