£1million extra funding to tackle anti-social behaviour

One million pounds of additional funding has been secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner from the Government’s Hotspot Response Fund to target the anti-social behaviour and serious violence in some of the worst affected areas in Wiltshire and Swindon.

Strong action is being taken against offenders by Wiltshire Police and partner agencies, using the full extent of the law and civil powers, to target the people whose behaviour is causing considerable damage to their communities.

Wiltshire Police used statistical analysis to identify the hotspots in Wiltshire and Swindon where ASB and serious violence are the most problematic, and using the extra funding, have increased the number of patrols in those areas.

The extra patrols mean there’s an increased visibility in ten parts of the county; In Swindon, there are more patrols in Park North, Park South, Old Town, Walcot East and in Faringdon Road. In Wiltshire, there are extra patrols in Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Devizes and Salisbury.  

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson understands the frustration for residents where ASB is an issue: “Anti-social behaviour, in its many guises, is something a number of residents bring up with me when I talk to them about the problems affecting their lives.

“This £1M of extra funding provides Wiltshire Police with the ability to effectively tackle and prevent ASB and serious violence by getting more officers out on the streets.  

“Extensive research has been done by Wiltshire Police to ensure we are placing our resources in the right place, and I will be holding our Chief Constable to account to ensure that her officers are out and doing everything they can to reduce crime in these hotspot locations.

“One of my priorities is to reduce anti-social behaviour and serious violence in Wiltshire and Swindon, and through using funding like this and working with our partners, we can make our communities a safer place to live and work”

The OPCC has also worked with local councils to provide funding for ASB street wardens, who work closely with their local Neighbourhood Policing Teams to identify and solve problems in their area.

The increased police patrols began at the start of July and these patrols will continue to operate until at least the end of March 2025.

Jenn Holton is the Neighbourhood Harm and Reduction Lead at Wiltshire Police:

“In the short time they’ve been up and running, these patrols, along with the work of our partner agencies, have already began to make a positive impact on the areas they’re targeting.

“This isn’t just about more visible patrols though. Through working with our partners to identify the root causes of ASB, and offering solutions such as detached youth work or out of court resolutions, we want to get to the heart of anti-social behaviour and serious violence, so we can create safer spaces in our communities.”