100% reduction in anti-social behaviour reports thanks to Police Now recruit
Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week 2024
Monday 18th November 2024
Police Constable Caitlin Neal eradicated reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) relating to a prolific young offender in Risborough, whose actions had been significantly impacting local residents and influencing other teenagers in the area.
Following intervention from Caitlin and her neighbourhood policing colleagues, police reports about the individual dropped from 56 between May – October last year to 0 by November – a 100% reduction. No further reports have been made about his behaviour since, and he has been charged with 15 ASB-related offences after a thorough casefile was compiled by Caitlin.
PC Caitlin Neal joined Thames Valley Police in 2022 via Police Now, which supports police forces across England and Wales with the recruitment and training of talented new officers. She recently completed its National Graduate Leadership Programme, a two-year neighbourhood policing programme dedicated to reducing crime and ASB and building public confidence in policing.
Caitlin engaged with members of the public to understand the extent of these issues and gather evidence; over 300 people came forwards at a policing-led community meeting to provide reports and speak up about the teenager and other youths in the area. Issues included racial abuse, harassment, excessive noise, violence including online violence, throwing eggs at people and their homes, littering, bullying and drug use.
Caitlin worked with the offender’s family, social services, his school, the town council, her neighbourhood policing team and further colleagues across Thames Valley Police, to put measures in place which would prevent the offending and investigate serious incidents. Robust safeguarding measures were also put in place for the young individual – who was 15 at the time of the offences – as well as victims of his actions and others who had been involved in the group ASB.
A significant milestone was met when Caitlin successfully applied for a Closure Order on his residential property, preventing other members of the group from entering the premise. This acted as an effective deterrent for the wider group, who have significantly reduced their own involvement in ASB since the police intervention.
PC Caitlin Neal said: “Anti-social behaviour has a significant impact on the quality of life for residents. As a very visible community problem, it also directly affects public trust and confidence in the police service if not dealt with effectively. Thanks to Police Now’s training and the support from my brilliant force colleagues, I have been able to really embed myself in the community to problem-solve these long-term issues.
“A significant portion of this work was engaging with the young offender and other teenagers involved, to understand the underlying causes of offending and help them understand the consequences of their actions and take accountability. Since working on this case and seeing improvements, members of our local community have been encouraged to come forwards and report incidents when they arise – which hugely supports police intelligence and our ability to protect and serve the public.
“Seeing the positive impact this intervention has had on his neighbours and the wider community is extremely rewarding, but we know that the work to address ASB and associated criminality is ongoing and there is always more to be done.”
During ASB Awareness Week (18th – 24th November) Caitlin is also engaging in a number of initiatives across her neighbourhood including partnership meetings, community conferences and ‘have your say’ events with the public.
