INCIDENTS of anti-social behaviour (ASB) have dropped by 13% across the county in the past 12 months – the third consecutive yearly decrease in offending claims Essex Police.

There were 2,312 fewer offences reported in the year to the end of July as every district in the county saw a reduction.

Essex is one of ten forces taking part in a pilot scheme that has seen dedicated patrols by police and community partners in known ASB hotspots thanks to funding secured by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Hotspot patrolling, under the banner Operation Dial, has been taking place since July 2023 and in its first phase led to 101 arrests, 387 stop and searches, and the issuing of 112 fixed penalty notices (FPNs).

The project also saw outreach work that engaged with more than 3,000 young people.

An announcement about the next phase of the scheme in Essex will be made at the end of the month.

In the past year, ASB fell by more than the force average in eight districts: Southend (22%), Uttlesford (22%), Tendring (19%), Basildon (15%), Braintree (15%), Rochford (15%), Chelmsford (14%) and Epping Forest (14%).

Southend (516) and Basildon (330) saw the biggest reductions in the number of offences.

Maldon (244), Uttlesford (378) and Brentwood (465) had the smallest number of ASB offences reported.

Rates of offending in Colchester and Thurrock continued to fall – 5.8% and 4.9% respectively – after substantial decreases in the previous 12 months. Over the past two years, ASB is down by 37% in Colchester and 32% in Thurrock.

Harlow and Castle Point both saw ASB drop by 9% in 12 months.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet is the National Police Chief Council’s lead for ASB. He said the success of the Essex hotspot pilot and others across the country showed that proactively tacking ASB alongside partners worked:

“There are many examples of successful interventions up and down the country where police and other agencies are successfully working with communities to tackle and reduce ASB.

“This focussed ‘hotspot approach’, using powers of dispersal, stop and search, premises closure and of course arrest, is a vital part of what must be a long term, multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour.”