Police Constable Amy Norman, who joined Surrey Police in 2021 via Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme, has been working to divert a young person in her community away from a life of crime. The individual was linked to 17 incidents of anti-social behaviour from September – December last year but has since reduced offending by over 80%.

This week (3 – 9 July) is Anti-social Behaviour Awareness (ASB) Week, which aims to raise awareness of the impact of ASB and the work individuals are doing to address the issues in their communities. Officers on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme work as neighbourhood police officers in communities across England and Wales, to tackle deep-rooted problems and reduce ASB from the very start of their policing careers. 

Amy tells us more about her work below:

“Last summer we began to receive regular reports of ASB including petty theft and general nuisance to members of the public in Staines Town Centre, carried out by one particular young person from the neighbourhood. The whole community was being affected by their behaviour and security and shop staff working in the area were leaving the profession or reporting absent from work due to the stress being caused. 

“Over the following seven months I built a positive rapport with the young person and began conducting regular safeguarding visits to their home. After identifying several safeguarding risks, including no child service involvement and the young person and their siblings being absent from school for the entire previous year, I began working with external partners to better support the family.  

“I organised and chaired discussions with the council, local school and social services, and as result, regular meetings have been set up between a local school and the family, who now also have a social worker. Collaboration with external partners such as these is a vital part of neighbourhood policing and allows us to plug the gaps and address problems from every angle, reducing the likelihood of reoffending. 

“By addressing the root causes behind this young person’s offending, I’ve witnessed a transformation in their behaviour which is amazing to see. The individual was linked to 17 incidents of ASB from September – December last year but has since reduced offending by over 80%. ASB is often a gateway to more serious crime, and so I hope that with this early intervention and the support of the social services and local school, we’ll divert this young person away from a life of crime. 

“Creating wider change in the community and society starts with helping individuals like this, and so I am hugely proud of the work I’ve done here with the support of my colleagues on the Staines Neighbourhood Policing Team.”