Sussex Police Report On ASB Awareness Week

Running from July 3 to 9, ASB Awareness Week highlights the huge impact anti-social behaviour has on those experiencing it and demonstrates what action can be taken to address it.

It also encourages communities to join police in taking a stand against such behaviour, to help make our communities safer.

ASB behaviours take many forms: from vandalism, nuisance drinking, aggressive behaviour, neighbour disputes to inconsiderate driving, or in fact any destructive or intimidating activity that damages another person’s quality of life is anti-social behaviour.

It may look and feel different in every area for each victim but for those experiencing ongoing nuisances, they can have a devastating impact on lives and communities. Any behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to individuals not of the same household as the person is defined as ASB.

We want to know about it

Recent YouGov research commissioned by RESOLVE, a centre of excellence solely focused upon community safety and ASB, found that almost 1 in 5 people have had to consider moving home because of the impact ASB was having on them. Despite this, over half of those surveyed who were either a victim or witness of ASB did not report the ASB.

Do not to suffer in silence if you experience ASB. Incidents can be reported to the anti-social behaviour team at your local council, or to us at the police, if individuals feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.

We know that, where left unchecked, anti-social behaviour can have an overwhelming impact on its victims and, in some cases, on the wider community.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced specific measures designed to give victims and communities a say in the way that complaints of anti-social behaviour are dealt with.

This includes the ASB Case Review (formerly known as the community trigger), which gives victims of persistent anti-social behaviour the right to request a multi-agency case review. If you have experienced three incidents of ASB in a six-month period, you can request an ASB Case Review. To find out more visit the RESOLVE page on ASB Case reviews.

Sussex Police's continuous work to tackle ASB in our communities 

Officers from Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT) across the county use the powers available to them to tackle all types of anti-social behaviour and criminality in our communities. 

East Sussex – your reports lead to action

In Eastbourne, dispersal orders and stop and search powers are used to address disorder in the town centre, with effective results.

Dispersal orders enable officers and PCSOs to ask a person who has committed, or is likely to commit, anti-social behaviour, crime, or disorder to leave the specific area and not return for a specified period of up to 48 hours.

Officers also work closely with partner agencies, such as the local authority and business improvement districts, to support residents and business that are impacted by persistent anti-social behaviour.

Responding to concerns raised by the community, Eastbourne NPT officers began gathering information about a camper van continually parked in a car park on Priory Road.

Police had received multiple reports of anti-social behaviour associated with the vehicle, including drugs supply, drugs use and fly-tipping.

In June 2023, officers were patrolling the area when they noticed some activity around the camper van. Given the recent reports, they approached the vehicle and detained its occupants for a search.

Suspected stolen items including e-scooters and power tools were found and seized inside the camper van, alongside a crossbow and suspected Class A drugs.

A search of an associated address also found more suspected drugs and stolen goods.

A 40-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. 

They have been released on bail with strict conditions while enquiries continue, and the camper van was seized. 

Brighton and Hove

Other powers at police’s disposal are closure orders. In Brighton, police had been working with Brighton and Hove Council to respond to reports of anti-social behaviour and drug-related crime around Craven Vale for some time.

A resident in council accommodation had been behind multiple reports including anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. He was arrested, a closure order was granted on the property and he was moved to a new location. Powers are in place to prosecute should the order be breached.

Chief Inspector Andy Saville, who leads on ASB in the force said:

“The public are our eyes and ears and we rely on residents reporting crimes and sharing information with us.

"Engagement with residents can be through community meetings, while out and about on patrol or as a designated point of contact. PCSOs are their direct, informal link to the police.

"Within the Neighbourhood Policing Team, we build up problem profiles of an area, identifying the specific issues and how we are addressing them.”

West Sussex

A different type of ASB is anti-social driving. Back in January this year, video footage emerged that showed a distinctive BMW ‘drifting’ around a roundabout at Kilnwood Vale, near Horsham. With many spectators present, police received reports from multiple concerned residents.

Superintendent Jim Collen said:

“Not only has the driver risked their own life, but they have also risked the lives of any other occupants in the car, other roads users, and the dozens of pedestrians who were present to witness it.

“We continue to work with local authorities and the local community in a bid to crack down on anti-social driving across the county. Offences such as speeding, drifting, wheel-spinning and excess noise can cause a nuisance and impact on people’s lives, particularly those living in rural areas, and they can also be dangerous.”

The registered owner, Ben Palfi, 24, from Arrow, Warwickshire was served with a postal requisition for the offence of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle when required to do so.

He pleaded guilty and attended Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 2 June, where he was ordered to pay a £380 fine, £90 costs and a £152 victim surcharge, and given six points on his licence.

Immediate Justice

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and her office are running a survey to capture your views on community payback. Sussex has been selected as a trailblazer by the Government to receive additional funding to pilot an ‘Immediate Justice Scheme’. This will see offenders ‘paying back’ to the community through unpaid work and repairing the damage and harm they have caused. A national Anti-Social Behaviour taskforce is also being established and Katy Bourne is keen to get valuable insight and views from the people of Sussex to inform and shape outcomes. You can learn more on their dedicated IJ landing page. Take the survey now here.

Katy Bourne said: “Please spend a few minutes completing my new survey as your answers will help my taskforce to evolve the pilot in Sussex. Together we can reduce antisocial behaviour and ensure that none of us suffer in silence.”

ASB awareness in action

During the week we will be carrying out additional patrols in ASB hotspots all across Sussex, and taking part in engagement events.

Join in 'The Big ASB Conversation' on Wednesday 5 July. You can ask any ASB related questions you may have by joining our Instagram Q&A.

Know your rights

To find out more about victims’ rights, visit the RESOLVE page.

For more information about ASB in Sussex and where to report it, please visit our dedicated page.