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The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, yesterday published “Still living a nightmare: Understanding the experiences of victims of anti-social behaviour” on the damaging impact on victims of persistent anti-social behaviour. In response, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ Joint Leads on Local Policing, Matt Storey and Chris Nelson, yesterday said:

“We know that anti-social behaviour has a huge impact on people’s lives and wellbeing, and the testimonies contained in this report are powerful. These examples of anti-social behaviour are not ‘just’ neighbourhood disputes, they highlight persistent and distressing crimes against those who subsequently live in fear of violence, harassment and damage to their property.

“Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) work with their police forces to ensure individuals can live freely and safely in their homes and communities through measures to prevent and combat anti-social behaviour, as well as to provide effective support services for victims.

“Whilst PCCs fund services to support those victims of criminal ASB, more must be done to fill the void that exists in terms of funding and support when anti-social behaviour falls short of a crime. This needs to be matched by funding to address the increased demand on existing support services that are already under significant pressure.

“We endorse the report’s recommendations around improving the ease, quality and consistency of the anti-social behaviour Case Review process for victims. To ensure this recommendation results in tangible change, we ask the Government to reinstate provisions previously in the Criminal Justice Bill that place a requirement for PCCs to be involved within the process, both through promoting it and providing an escalation route for victims.”  

Notes for Editors:

• Matt Storey is APCC Joint Lead on Local Policing and PCC for Cleveland
• Chris Nelson is APCC Joint Lead on Local Policing and PCC for Gloucestershire
• The Victims’ Commissioner’s report, “Still living a nightmare: Understanding the experiences of victims of anti-social behaviour”, can be found here.