Safer Annual Review 2011 - Reduce anti-social behaviour, improve public confidence

Working together

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a team effort for Safer Sandwell Partnership organisations.

Officers closely work together at a local level to tackle problems ranging from litter and fly tipping to intimidating and threatening behaviour by groups and individuals.

Anti-social behaviour can include rowdy behaviour, noise nuisance, intimidation, harassment, verbal abuse, hate crime, drugs, vandalism, abandoned vehicles, graffiti, fly tipping and dog fouling.

Working with local people, partners have successfully tackled over 4,000 community problems in five years.

Over 1,441 community problems were tackled in 2010/11. You can read examples of problems tackled across the six towns on page 6 of the Spring Sandwell Herald.

In the past year, reports of anti-social behaviour have fallen by over 20%.

Safer 6 - six towns, six weeks

Between September and November 2010, we held the first Safer 6 campaign, six weeks of intensive action across the six towns to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The campaign provides additional action and reassurance as the nights draw in and during the bonfire and fireworks season.

Safer 6 returned for 2011 and ran between September 26 and November 6.

• Recorded crime dropped 11 per cent and anti-social behaviour reports almost halved during this year's six-week crackdown.
• The campaign also saw nearly 16 tonnes of waste and litter cleared by offenders, alcohol confiscated over 230 times from nuisance drinkers by council wardens and police and drugs seized over 100 times.
• Hundreds of people received crime prevention and safety advice at roadshows and meetings, organised by partners including the police, council, Sandwell Homes, West Midlands Fire Service, Agewell and Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel.
• The fire service also carried out inspections at firework retailers and gave firework safety talks in schools.
• And hundreds of young people visited the Sandwell Youth Bus, taking part in activities and getting safety advice from the council's young people services, police and DECCA (Drug Education, Counselling and Confidential Advice).

Check out more information and results at our 2011 Safer 6 web page and photos at the Safer 6 flickr group.

Tough action

Sandwell Council's anti-social behaviour team, supported by Police and Sandwell Homes, has stepped up its action against 'problem residents'.

The team won the Black Country's first premises closure order in January 2011, closing down a flat in West Bromwich that had been used for serious and persistent anti-social behaviour.

Improved tasking meetings have seen more cases being brought to the team's attention so that action can be taken, leading to the team securing 38 injunction orders in 2010/11, up from 11 in 2009/10.

Injunction orders protect law-abiding residents by banning troublemakers from particular geographical areas or types of behaviour. A person who breaches a court injunction order can face up to two years in prison and/or a fine for contempt of court.

Sandwell Homes, together with council environmental health officers, held a series of advice sessions for residents on noisy neighbours during Noise Action Week in May.

Prevention

Wherever possible, the council and its partners work to prevent problems from happening in the first place.

A 'good behaviour scheme' has contributed to the fall in anti-social behaviour reports over the past year.

Sandwell Council's anti-social behaviour team and targeted youth support service, together with Sandwell Police, Sandwell Homes and other partners, are successfully using the Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) process.

Over 90% of the people who have so far been subject to a written warning at Stage 1 of the ABC process have not come to the authorities' attention again. A total of 31 people entered into ABCs in 2010/11.

Reassurance

High visibility patrols are carried out by Police and Sandwell Council Wardens.

The Safer Sandwell Partnership has made £25,000 available for additional patrols in 2011/12.

A victims' support officer works within the council's anti-social behaviour team, and has supported over 80 high risk victims over the past year.

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