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North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, has joined a national campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and keep people in North Wales safe.
Running from July 18 to 22, ASB Awareness Week 2022 aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.
Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation, the week features a series of events all across the UK involving Councils, Police Forces, Housing Associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs.
To mark the return of ASB Awareness Week for 2022, throughout the week the Commissioner is visiting Llangefni, Pwllheli, and Wrexham to see projects underway to engage with and support local young people and victims of crime. He will also join police officers on patrol to see activity taking place to counter ASB in local communities.
Recent YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that more than half of people (56%) believe that ‘more needs to be done’ to tackle ASB in their community. However, after they witnessed or experienced ASB, a similar proportion of the public (57%) said that they did not report it to anyone.
Andy Dunbobbin is urging members of the public not to suffer in silence if they experience ASB. Incidents can be reported to the anti-social behaviour team at the local Council, or to the Police if people feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.
Delivering safer neighbourhoods for residents and visitors to North Wales is a key part of the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan and the last year has seen a number of initiatives to prevent ASB and make streets safer.
For example, funding has been given to keep local young people engaged in positive activities through the ‘Your Community, Your Choice’ initiative, which is also supported by the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) and North Wales Police. Funding for this is often recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using money seized from offenders, and funding has gone to local Scout groups, martial arts clubs and initiatives like the Youth Shedz in Kinmel Bay and Abergele.
Money has also been secured to improve safety across our region. In Wrexham, funding has helped to reduce the number of offences involving violence against women and girls. The Safer Streets initiative includes improving CCTV coverage, creating safer spaces for woman and girls as well as providing training and education.
Funding has also gone towards combatting crime hotspots in Colwyn Bay and Bangor and targeting organised gangs and offenders coming in from outside the area through technology like automated number plate recognition.
In our rural communities, the Future Farms Cymru project is being masterminded by North Wales Police’s pioneering Rural Crime Team and, as part of the scheme, sensors linked to an app alert farmers immediately if anything is stolen.
Commenting, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin commented: “Anti-social behaviour is a scourge on our communities and one that I am determined to address as part of my Police and Crime Plan, in close co-operation with North Wales Police. People have the right to feel safe and secure and no-one should feel afraid or intimidated when going about their everyday life and business.
“The ASB Awareness Week campaign is a really valuable way of highlighting the support on offer to residents and visitors experiencing anti-social behaviour. I would urge anyone to report any incidents of anti-social behaviour they experience, whether to their local Council officers, or to the local policing team.
“Throughout this week, I am looking forward to engaging with local residents and police officers, and to seeing everything that is being done across North Wales to combat anti-social behaviour and support local communities.”
Superintendent Helen Corcoran, North Wales Police said: “Anti-social behaviour is a priority for North Wales Police and this awareness week offers an opportunity to highlight the issues of ASB and the impact it can have on the local communities.”
“People deserve to feel safe where they live, and our activities this week will highlight some of the work that we undertake with partners on a daily basis to support our communities and tackle ASB.”
Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve added: “ASB is not low-level crime. It can have a long-lasting impact on the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.
“It is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs so that people everywhere feel safe in their homes and communities.
“We are delighted that the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and his office are supporting this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”
For more information about ASB Awareness Week – visit www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek