Anti Social Behaviour – “Nott’s Police consistently fail vulnerable victims”

The Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary 2012 Report into Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) says that “there is a relatively high level of ASB recorded by police in Nottinghamshire in comparison with the rest of England and Wales.

“HMIC found that some progress has been made in the way the force understands and tackles ASB problems. Our survey of ASB victims in Nottinghamshire shows that satisfaction levels are similar to the 2010 survey results, although satisfaction with the information provided following the call has increased significantly.

“The force has improved how it monitors ASB performance. This gives them a better understanding of ASB problems in their area, and means they can direct resources to where they are most needed. The force has also invested in an IT system to support the management of ASB incidents. It maintains individual victim records, which clearly describe the full history of ASB and other crime that the victim has reported; this is good practice and helps the force to ensure the victim receives the appropriate support. Officers and staff are clear that ASB is a priority for the force and the public.

“However, repeat and vulnerable victims are not consistently identified when they call the police. This means that they may not be getting the extra support they need at the earliest opportunity. HMIC also found that some reports of ASB are not being recorded on force systems (for example, if they are made directly to officers on patrol, rather than by dialling 999 or 101). These issues can affect both the overall understanding of the ASB problems within Nottinghamshire, and the decisions taken as to what response is required to tackle these problems effectively.

Results of a survey of ASB victims

“We surveyed 202 people who reported ASB to Nottinghamshire Police during 2011. They were asked a range of questions about their perceptions of ASB generally and their experience in reporting ASB to the police.

Are repeat and vulnerable victims effectively identified at the point of report?

“Nottinghamshire Police’s incident recording system automatically identifies repeat callers from either their location or name. This allows the call taker to review previous incidents when they are deciding what response is needed.

“However, call takers did not always question callers about previous unreported incidents, which could lead to the force failing to identify some repeat victims.

“Call takers are also expected to question callers to find out if they are in any way vulnerable (such as elderly or disabled): but this does not always happen.

“sampling of 100 calls about ASB, it was found that the call taker only asked targeted questions to help establish if a caller was a repeat victim in about a half of the calls; and whether they were a vulnerable victim in about a quarter of the calls. We did find that call takers generally dealt with the victim in a professional manner.

Are officers and staff regularly and thoroughly briefed about local ASB issues?

“Neighbourhood policing teams are regularly briefed in detail about local ASB issues. However, investigators and officers who respond to emergency calls do not receive the same level of briefing; and although the force briefing system provides them with some information, they are less well informed about ASB problems in their local area. This could impact on the force’s ability to deal with ASB.

“Officers who are working on specific operations introduced to tackle ASB receive a comprehensive briefing about current ASB concerns, including information on victims who are most vulnerable. This represents progress.

Does the force regularly gather and analyse data and information about ASB?

“At a local level, work is undertaken to understand what information is available from partners who have a shared responsibility to tackle ASB (such as local councils and the fire service).

However, this is limited to sharing numerical data and information on high risk ASB incidents. This could result in some vulnerable or repeat victims not being identified and provided with the support they need.

Do neighbourhood policing teams have the right tools and resources to tackle ASB?

“Officers and staff working in local neighbourhood teams complete a training programme, which includes learning about legislation and methods to help them deal with ASB. New staff are supervised and supported by an experienced neighbourhood officer. Further joint training has also taken place with Community Protection Officers from the City Council.

“The force neighbourhood policing intranet site includes details of the full range of tactics police can use to tackle ASB including a good practice guide. However, some neighbourhood officers are not aware this source of information exists.

“The force uses a computerised case management system to maintain individual victim records, which helps neighbourhood teams manage plans to address specific ASB incidents. However, these records are not always updated, and guidance from supervisors to staff is not consistently recorded.”