Crime & Anti-Social Behaviour in Bedfordshire is Down

Chief Constable Alf Hitchcock has today (Thursday 21 June) welcomed a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) on the policing of Anti-Social Behaviour.

Commenting on the report Mr Hitchcock said:

“Bedfordshire Police welcomes the findings of the Inspection and the survey, which was carried out last year, as it confirms our plans for improvement in tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB). Some of the areas highlighted have already been addressed with the introduction of the new policing model, which focuses on local policing issues and driving down crime. I am also pleased the HMIC has recognised our success in fighting crime and protecting the public, by acknowledging; ‘a strong reduction in overall crime, and is committed to ensure that future improvements in its response to ASB mirror the improvements it has achieved in driving down crime’.

Excellent results have already been achieved in Bedfordshire, which has resulted in overall crime falling by 6.5% (2822 fewer offences), with burglary down 20% (800 fewer homes) and violent crimes are down with the most serious offences down 34%. In relation to ASB, we have seen public confidence in police and partners ability to deal with it rise in every quarter of the last year as measured by the British Crime Survey, and the number of people who are victims of ASB have reduced by almost 8000 over two years.

We are not complacent however, and by continuing to work with our partners through a range of programs as well as taking forward our internal structural change program and through the increased resilience gained via collaboration with Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire we are committed to continuing to improve our performance over the coming months.

Victims being satisfied with the service they get from Bedfordshire Police is a priority for us, and I will always apologise to anyone who feels they may not have had the response they expected. Officers, PCSOs, staff and partners work tirelessly to support victims of ASB, and use current IT systems to identify the most vulnerable. New IT which has been obtained by the force will be operation in the next year and this will enhance the service.

The HMIC has also indicated areas of good practice by saying; ‘In Luton, the force and Borough Council have funded a priority ASB case management team. This is co-located multi-agency team which is providing an excellent service to victims of ASB and is recognised as good practice.’ There is a planned roll out of this method across the force.

Against a backdrop of budget cuts, Bedfordshire does have to prioritise what crime and incidents it investigates and serious ASB remains a key priority for us and our partners. Some aspects of ASB fall out of the remit of the police but are picked up by the three Community Safety Partnerships that are well placed to help individuals with long term problems.

Finally, Bedfordshire Police continues to drive down crime and support all our communities where we can around issues of ASB. We are already committed to a plan of additional improvements around ASB including innovative IT solutions and the new policing model, which was only launched in October last year. We are confident that these changes will help us continue to fight crime and protect the public.”