PCC Visits BANES and South Bristol for ASB Awareness Week

This week is Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week (18th-24th November), a national initiative aimed at raising awareness of the impact of ASB and promoting partnership working to create safer communities. Across Avon and Somerset, the week highlights the importance of early intervention and swift action in tackling ASB, emphasising collaboration between the police, local authorities, and communities to address issues effectively.

To mark ASB Awareness Week, last Friday (15th November), Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody joined officers patrolling ASB hotspots in Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and South Bristol.

Clare, accompanied by Inspector Graeme Hall, who coordinates Hotspot Patrols under the force’s Operation Hold, visited Poundland on High Street in Keynsham. According to the police, the main issues of concern are public order (55%) and criminal damage (35%) within the store. These incidents include groups of young people threatening staff, shoplifting, causing damage to shop windows, and engaging in fights on the High Street. The police report that the majority of individuals involved are male, with 38% aged between 12 and 15. During the visit, Clare met with Adrian Hass and Stephen Powell, the two officers on patrol, and conducted a walkabout of the High Street.

Following this, Clare joined the same officers on patrol at another ASB hotspot, the Morrisons supermarket in Hartcliffe, South Bristol. The key issues here include public order offences (52%), ASB nuisance (23%), and criminal damage (22%). Specific problems involve groups of young people being verbally abusive, loitering in the car park, throwing stones, harassing staff and customers, and causing damage to shop property and vehicles. The police reported that the majority of offenders are male, with the top age group being 11-15.

Commenting after the visit, PCC Clare Moody said: “It was really helpful for me to get a deeper understanding of the value of this work, the way it operates in practice, and its impact on local communities.”

The commitment to tackling ASB is central to the Police and Crime Plan for Avon and Somerset, which prioritises strengthening neighbourhood policing. This approach focuses on preventing ASB at its roots by building stronger relationships with local communities, increasing visible patrols, and working closely with partners to address issues before they escalate.