Dorset Police and partners are encouraging communities to take a stand against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and highlight the actions that can be taken to tackle it during a week of targeted action.

Running from Monday 18 November to Sunday 24 November 2024, ASB Awareness Week is a national campaign aimed at alerting members of the public to the issues of ASB in their communities.

Throughout the week, officers and Police Community Support Officers across Dorset will be visiting ASB hotspots, speaking to schools and businesses, and holding community drop-in events.

Dorset Police will also be posting regularly on its social media channels throughout the week, informing the public of what constitutes ASB and providing details of the different agencies best placed to tackle it.

There are three main categories of ASB:

- Personal anti-social behaviour is when a person targets a specific individual or group.
- Nuisance anti-social behaviour is when a person causes trouble, annoyance or suffering to a community.
- Environmental anti-social behaviour is when a person’s actions affect the wider environment, such as public spaces or buildings.

According to recent Dorset Police figures, anti-social behaviour is continuing to fall across the county. Reports of personal ASB have fallen by 39 per cent, nuisance ASB has fallen by 19 per cent and environmental ASB has fallen by 27 per cent since 2022.

Dorset Police is encouraging members of the public not to suffer in silence if they experience ASB. They are encouraged to report it and together we can keep these numbers down.

Please follow this link to read the rest of the article, which features comments from Chief Superintendent for Dorset Police Heather Dixey, Dorset Police Crime Commissioner David Sidwick, Cllr Kieran Wilson of BCP Council and Cllr Gill Taylor of Dorset Council: https://news.dorset.police.uk/news-article/70efcc74-a7a5-ef11-9d71-6045bdd24049 

You can report anti-social behaviour at https://www.dorset.police.uk or by calling Dorset Police on 101. As always in an emergency where life is at risk or a crime is being committed dial 999.

If we are not able to deal with your complaint directly, we will give you advice on which local agency can help and how to contact them. The police and other local agencies have a variety of different powers to tackle anti-social behaviour. As a guide local councils have the powers to deal with:

- Abandoned vehicles
- Graffiti and flyposting
- Damage to public property
- Rubbish and fly tipping
- Noise, including loud music, noisy neighbours, parties, alarms, animals and noise from pubs and clubs

For more information about ASB if you are a BCP Council resident, visit this website: https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/communities/crime-safety-and-emergencies/antisocial-behaviour

For more information about ASB if you are a Dorset Council resident, visit this website: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/anti-social-behaviour

For more information about ASB and how to report it to police, visit https://www.dorset.police.uk/asb and https://www.dorset.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/

Find your neighbourhood policing team by visiting https://www.dorset.police.uk/area/your-area/

For more information about ASB Awareness Week visit https://www.resolveuk.org.uk/