Special week focuses on dealing with anti-social behaviour in the borough

Areas of the Melton borough where anti-social behaviour (ASB) has been reported are being visited this week as part of a special initiative to tackle the issue.
A free football session in Melton organised by the borough council to help officers engage with local young peopleA free football session in Melton organised by the borough council to help officers engage with local young people
A free football session in Melton organised by the borough council to help officers engage with local young people

Local neighbourhood police officers have toured the hotspots with officials from Melton Borough Council to listen to concerns of residents and engage with the community in a bid to stop it happening.

It is all part of the second national Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, which aims to encourage communities to take a stand against the problem and highlight the options available to those facing it.

Organised by Resolve, who are community safety specialists, the week is also supported by Community Safety Partnerships, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC).

Insp Claire Hughes, Leicestershire Police’s lead for ASB, said: “ASB can be disruptive and problematic within our communities, and we certainly don’t underestimate the impact it can have on victims.

"This is one of the reasons we are taking part in ASB awareness week as it raises the profile of all the joint working that is done with partners to tackle it.”

One of the initiatives in Melton involving the council takes place every Tuesday when there are free football sessions for young people aged 10 to 16, providing an opportunity for officers, members of Melton Sport and Health Alliance and local police officers to engage with those who might get drawn into ASB.

A council spokesperson said: “Since starting this project, we have been able to engage with over 40 children over 10 sessions.

"Together, we have been able to work on creating positive rapports with young people in the area and give them advice and guidance when necessary.

“Recently we've been teaching the importance of picking up litter alongside our football sessions and how this affects our environment and the appearance of the community. The children have really enjoyed these sessions and have asked for more types of these events in future.”

Police officers and a council official also went to Croxton Kerrial, Bottesford, Eastwell and Scalford this week to visit areas where ASB has been reported. They talked to shop keepers and found out about local concerns, with speeding drivers the most prominent issue.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland, Rupert Matthews, commented: “Everyone has a right to feel safe in their community and let’s be clear, anti-social behaviour is utterly unacceptable.

“This type of behaviour affects the whole community, so it’s really important that we all work together to tackle it.

“My Community Safety Grant is there to help support projects designed to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour, so if anyone has a project that needs some funding to make it work more effectively then I would urge them to get in touch.

“This week is a great way to highlight the problem, but the work to tackle ASB is not a one-week wonder. I’ve seen first-hand, the work from our local Neighbourhood Policing Teams that takes place every single day and I look forward to being out with them in the coming days.”