Kent Police offering advice
Nuisance and abusive behaviour are the focus of a week-long campaign which is being supported by Kent Police.
Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week will run between 19 and 25 July 2021 and has been organised by Resolve, a national agency which specialises in community safety.
Throughout the week, important advice on the support available will be shared online and this will be done on top of the work officers do on a daily basis. Such work is done in partnership with partner agencies, including councils, with the aim of preventing incidents and ensuring robust action is taken against perpetrators.
Wide-reaching impact
Superintendent Pete Steenhuis, from Kent Police, said:
‘Anti-social behaviour is committed by a very small minority of people but it can have a wide-reaching impact on a community.
‘We know from our engagement work that members of the public sometimes feel hesitant to make a report to us because they believe what they are experiencing does not warrant police action, but that could not be further from the truth.
‘Abusive and nuisance behaviour has a significant impact on an affected person’s quality of life and is not something that should be tolerated.
‘Each day our officers work hard to achieve good results for the communities they serve and they will always pursue the most robust and proportionate options available to them.
‘Anyone affected by anti-social behaviour is encouraged to contact us so we can take action.'
Community Policing
Kent Police consists of 13 distinct policing districts, with each one having a designated Community Safety Unit. Officers within these units often deal with ASB and work closely with local councils and business holders to respond to incidents, share information and implement preventative measures.
Close partnership work like this has led to Public Space Protection Orders being created in towns across Kent, including Margate, Gravesend, Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford and Folkestone.
Task Forces covering Medway, Maidstone and Thanet also build on their positive work to provide a concentrated response on an affected area.
In February 2021, Kent Police also created the Problem-Solving Task Force, a force-wide resource that consists of 21 Police Community Support Officers who have received specialist training in identifying patterns of concern and bringing long term change.
Recent good results
Kent Police’s community-focused approach means officers have achieved numerous good results for affected neighbourhoods. Recent examples include:
- Obtaining a closure order on a property in William Mundy Way, Dartford, following 33 calls to the address between March and May 2021. It was being leased out for weekend parties and it is now illegal to enter the building throughout the Summer months.
- Working with Folkestone and Hythe District Council to take against a flat in Foord Road. The action means the tenant of the address, which was associated with ASB has been removed from the area.
- Securing a Closure Order against a house in Invicta Road, Margate, due to reports of drug dealing, large gatherings and excess noise.
- Successfully applying for a Criminal Behaviour Order against a man who was responsible for repeated ASB incidents in Canterbury. He is now banned from entering an area inside the City Wall for the next two years.
- Issuing close to 50 Community Protection Warnings to individuals specifically involved in ASB in the Tunbridge Wells area.
Advice on ASB
Throughout the week, Kent Police will be sharing advice on what to do if you are affected by ASB and members of the public are encouraged to follow Kent Police on social media.
Policing teams will also be patrolling their communities and anyone who wants advice, or to bring an item to their attention, is welcome to engage with them.
Furth information and advice can also be found by visiting this link.
Anyone affected by ASB is encouraged not to tolerate it and to make a report via the Kent Police website, or by calling 101.
If a crime is in progress, dial 999.
