Anti-social behaviour - The Herefordshire Partnership

Anti-social behaviour

Perception of levels of anti-social behaviour are typically measured through surveys. Within Herefordshire there are two main sources for this, residents' household surveys conducted by Herefordshire Council and West Mercia Constabulary. Both of these surveys ask similar questions about how much of a problem a particular issue is in their local area. The specific anti-social behaviours they include are:

• vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property;
• teenagers hanging around on the streets;
• rubbish or litter lying around;
• drug use and dealing (although this is split in the West Mercia Constabulary; questionnaire);
• drunk or rowdy behaviour;
• noisy neighbours;
• abandoned or burnt out cars; and
• speeding traffic (only included in the West Mercia Constabulary questionnaire).
  
  

As part of the Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA¹), Herefordshire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership in conjunction with Herefordshire Council aimed to reduce the percentage of people who felt that specific anti-social behaviours were a problem in their local area.

This data for LPSA about resident's perceptions of levels of anti-social behaviours in their local area are obtained from the West Mercia Constabulary Joint Local Crime and Safety Survey. This is an annual survey that is posted out to residents across the West Mercia Constabulary Police Force area, which consists of five divisions including Herefordshire, North and South Worcestershire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. Data for Herefordshire is available for 2005, 2006 and 2007, as shown in Chart 1.

There have been a number of small changes in the perceptions of these anti-social behaviours over the last few years but these are not statistically significant i.e. there is no overall trend of perceptions increasing or decreasing.

Chart 1. Percentage of Herefordshire residents (aged 16 and over) who think that each of these is a problem in their local neighbourhood area

Source: West Mercia Constabulary Joint Local Crime and Safety Survey

Speeding traffic: a higher proportion of residents reporting this as a problem in their local area than the other anti-social behaviour types, with 74% reporting this in 2007, similar results were seen for West Mercia Constabulary Police Force Area as a whole (73%).

Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles: 61% of residents reported that this was a problem in their local area in 2007, which is a significant² increase from 52% reporting this in 2006. Comparatively West Mercia as a whole had slightly higher proportions (65%) reporting this as being a problem.

People using drugs: almost no change in perceptions in their local neighbourhood area in Herefordshire, with 61% reporting this as a problem in 2007 compared to 60% in 2006 and 2005. Figures for the West Mercia Constabulary area as a whole are similar, 60% in 2007.

People dealing drugs: lower proportions of residents reporting dealing as a problem than reporting problems with people using drugs. 55% of residents felt it was a problem in 2007, and this has shown little change over the reporting period, 53% in 2006 and 2005. Comparatively, West Mercia Constabulary area has seen an increase, from 44% in 2005 to 52% in 2007.

People being drunk and rowdy in public places: a relatively low proportion of residents reporting this as a problem in their local area compared to other anti-social behaviours. However, still over half of Herefordshire residents (54%) who found this a problem in 2007. This is similar to previous years, 51% in 2006 and 53% in 2005 and across the West Mercia Police Force area, 56% in 2007.

Source: West Mercia Constabulary Joint Local Crime and Safety Survey

Perceptions of high levels of anti-social behaviour has been acknowledged by Government and the Home Office, and has resulted in the introduction of the 'Respect³' agenda . This led to the requirement for every Local Authority to monitor a national measure of anti-social behaviour as part of their Local Area Agreement (LAA⁴) for (2008/09 to 2010/11).

Data for this measure is taken from an alternative residents survey, run for Herefordshire Council. Despite the questions being similar, results tend to show larger proportions of residents with perceptions of high levels of anti-social behaviour from the West Mercia Constabulary Survey.

This measure is the percentage of residents who feel there is a high level of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in their area.
A high level of ASB is measured by a score of 11 or more. Each of the 7 aspects is given a score of 0-3, 0 being not a problem at all and 3 being a very big problem. Aspects are:

• Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property
• Teenagers hanging around on the streets
• Rubbish or litter
• Drug use and dealing
• Drunk or rowdy behaviour
• Noisy neighbours
• Abandoned or burnt out cars
  
  

In 2007, 27% of residents felt there were high levels of anti-social behaviour in their local area, which was the same proportion as the previous year. 2007 data gives the baseline for the current LAA.

Source: Herefordshire Satisfaction Survey, Herefordshire Council

¹ For more information about LPSA see Reference Section 30

² Significant - means statistically significant as inferred by confidence intervals. For more information about this please see the Reference Section 53.

³ For more information about the Respect agenda see the Home Office website http://www.respect.gov.uk/

⁴ For more information about Local Area Agreements, see Reference Section 31.