Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has welcomed the success of a major operation to drive down anti-social behaviour and serious violence across crime hotspots in the city and two counties.
As the nation marks Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC said levels of serious violence and ASB were already falling because of extra proactive policing patrols in communities with long-running problems.
The PCC's office received government funding worth £1.57m earlier this year which has been used to fund extra patrols, engagement and problem-solving work by a dedicated ‘hotspots' team consisting of nine officers.
Since launching, more than 6,800 hours of extra patrol time by police and partner agencies has been clocked up.
Key achievements to date include:
- 8.4% reduction in Serious Violence within hotspots compared to the same period last year
- 15.2% reduction in ASB within hotspot areas compared to the same period last year
- 47.2% increase in targeted police patrols between July and September (Quarter 2 of 2024-25)
- 257% increase in patrols by partners between July and September
- Nine problem-solving plans currently in operation across the hotspot areas
- New ASB Case Management System being procured to manage risk, perpetrators and victims more effectively.
Mr Matthews said: "The results show that the increased activity and visibility is really working, with demand and risk already reducing in these communities.
"We know that both ASB and serious violence destroy lives and the quality of life for those affected. From a vulnerability perspective, we also know that ASB can escalate into violence if left unchallenged and often the two go hand in hand. This is why the project has a two-pronged approach, combining enforcement with a preventative focus to disrupt the revolving door of crime that sees the same offenders in and out of the justice system.
"While Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week is an opportune moment to celebrate these early successes, our communities should know that efforts to protect them from these issues are taking place all year round and will continue at full pace to support my drive for safe and prosperous communities."
The PCC works closely with the force, the Violence Reduction Network (VRN) and other key criminal justice partners to tackle the root causes and consequences of serious violence and ASB to keep young people and communities safe.
The latest ‘hotspots' project has drawn involvement from several key organisations including Ashby NTE Street Wardens, St Johns Ambulance, City Street Wardens, Street Pastors, Business Improvement District (BID) Leicester, City ASB Wardens and Street Outreach.
Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week is a national campaign organised by Resolve, the UK's leading ASB and community safety organisation, calling for communities to stand in solidarity against ASB and promoting the support and services available to help those experiencing the issue.
