Met Police use home visits to slash anti-social behaviour

Police in a London borough have slashed rates of anti-social behaviour with a radical scheme to tackle repeat offending, a report reveals today.

Officers in Tower Hamlets are recording details of offenders and visiting them in person if they reoffend, instead of the usual practice of simply moving them on.

The pilot scheme has seen a 30 per cent fall in the number of calls to the Met about anti-social behaviour in the borough.

A report by the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee now recommends that the idea be rolled out across the capital, as figures show a rise in anti-social behaviour.

Police in Tower Hamlets issue warning slips to offenders and record their name and addresses. If they offend a second time, officers will call at their home to understand why they are offending.

Sergeant Colin Reed, who helped devise the scheme, said: “Officers will ask why they are hanging around stairwells or smoking cannabis. If they are bored or unemployed they will try and get them into diversion schemes such as the Prince’s Trust.

“If it is more serious they can be referred to gang exit projects or face court action. It’s not about enforcement, but why they’re behaving like that and trying to change their behaviour.”

So far nearly 5,000 ASB forms have been issued since September 2016, and just 300 people have become repeat offenders.

Sgt Reed said: “A lot of people just do not realise what they are doing is an issue, they do not realise that the smell of cannabis is a problem, for example. A lot of it is about education.”

The scheme has now been adopted in Westminster and other police forces, including Manchester, are examining the idea.

The London Assembly report highlights a lack of co-ordination across London on anti-social behaviour, and the way police and council budget cuts have led to a reduction in funding for posts tackling the problem.

It found that measures introduced in 2014 to give more power to victims — such as the Community Trigger — had been rarely used.

Police and Crime Committee chairman Steve O’Connell said: “Anti-social behaviour needs to be high on the agenda for the police, housing providers and all boroughs in London.

“We are unclear as to how the Mayor is leading the response to anti-social behaviour and believe he should clarify his commitment to tackling it by supporting local partnerships.”