Targeted anti-social behaviour patrols are being rolled out across England and Wales from April, with at least £1m funding given to each of the 43 police forces.
It is estimated that the funding, hitting £66 million for England and Wales, will enable each force to deploy uniformed patrols for up to 20,000 hours in “hotspot” areas each year, helping drive down crime and boost public confidence in their local force.
This approach has already been piloted in 10 areas, with over 80,000 hours of patrols in the six months since it launched. This has led to nearly 600 arrests, close to 1,500 stop and searches and around 700 uses of anti-social behaviour powers such as community protection notices and public protection orders.
The hotspot approach has helped cut anti-social behaviour by over 40 per cent in Brunswick, in Lancashire according to data from the police and crime commissioner. While in Essex, the police have reported that incidents of anti-social behaviour in Southend have almost halved in the last 12 months with hotspots in specific areas in the city playing a key role in this.
The funding announced today will be targeted in areas where there is high prevalence of violence, anti-social behaviour, and illegal public drug consumption, which not only makes communities feel less safe but can fuel drug related violence.
