PCC welcomes partnership action to bring communities relief from ASB

Credit: Derbyshire PCC's office

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts has welcomed the impact of extra visibility patrols and partnership initiatives in driving down anti-social behaviour as she held the force to account on its performance.

In her latest Public Assurance Meeting, the Derbyshire PCC considered a report detailing the key achievements and actions being taken by the force to meet her Police and Crime Plan priority ‘Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety’.

The aim of the meetings, which are held six times a year, is to provide a platform for the PCC to challenge, support and identify risks in ongoing work by officers and partners to build safer, stronger and more inclusive communities.

They also provide the public with an opportunity to pose direct questions to the Chief Constable and senior officers around key issues related to its work.

ASB is any behaviour that causes harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance and can fit into one of three categories: personal, environmental or nuisance.

The report shows ASB in Derbyshire remains significantly lower than 2019 (pre-Covid) levels with hotspot policing and collaborative work with partners delivering tangible reductions.

Overall, ASB incidents fell from 33,409 in 2019 to 17,104 in 2025, although there has been a slight rise in the last year.

The hotspot policing programme has delivered over 15,577 extra patrol hours by officers since its introduction in July 2023 across 19 targeted areas with £14,400 cash and £46,360 worth of drugs recovered. Police have also made 414 arrests, carried out 476 stop searches and submitted 1,440 intelligence items during this time.

Meanwhile, Derbyshire’s Immediate Justice Service – the system set up to facilitate swift punishment and allow perpetrators to give back to their communities – has received 1,481 referrals since October 2023 when it launched, achieving a 68% non-reoffending rate – making it the most successful scheme in the country.

In the last 12 months alone ASB in the hotspot areas has fallen by 10% while recorded crime in those areas has also dropped by 2%.

Working alongside partners, the force has driven innovative solutions to divert young people away from offending, including launching an interactive game called Crime Cubes as part of its youth engagement programme.

Over the next 12 months, several key changes are being introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill 2025 which will increase the powers available to officers to respond to ASB.

These include the introduction of Respect Orders to tackle persistent ASB perpetrators, the formal removal of the need for Police to issue a warning before seizing a vehicle being used antisocially and additional protections for retail workers with a new specific criminal offence for assaulting a shop worker.

These changes are at the heart of the Government’s flagship Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which aims to deliver consistent, collaborative and problem-focused policing and provide a better service to the public with named, contactable officers to improve community relationships.

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: “ASB has a hugely detrimental impact on its victims. I’m pleased the force is tackling all sides of the issues, with robust enforcement, education and enhanced support for victims.

“Levels of ASB have fallen significantly since 2019, especially in hotspot areas, and this is testament to officers aligning with partners to deliver collaborative and problem-focused policing where it is needed most. I’m especially pleased with the robust use of ASB dispersal powers, which have risen sharply from 397 to 726 in 12 months, bringing communities instant redress.

“I will push for this to continue over the next year as new powers and measures are implemented through the Crime and Disorder Bill to further reduce the misery of ASB. These include Respect Orders, a new standalone offence for assaulting a shopworker.

“Government funding has been critical to the force’s success in robustly tackling ASB, and the removal of this support would pose a risk to our continued use of the hotspot policing approach. Highly visible and accessible policing is highly valued by our residents, and it is important that it remains. I will do everything possible to ensure Derbyshire secures the resources needed to protect our communities effectively in the future.”

Elsewhere, the report highlights progress in tackling cybercrime and road safety, with the PCC praising the proactivity of specialist officers to respond to threat.

The Derbyshire Cyber Team’s work focuses on education, resilience-building, and reducing vulnerability for individuals and small businesses.

All victims of Computer Misuse Act (CMA) offences receive bespoke Cyber Protect advice and tailored support to prevent further harm while all CMA reports are investigated by specially trained Cyber Pursue Officers. Additionally, around 8,000 people are reached every year through school engagement programmes.

In road safety, the PCC was updated on the impact of proactive operations to target high risk road users to reduce fatal and serious collisions. This includes increased collaboration with local councils to tackle car ‘cruises’ where Public Space Protection Orders have been successfully implemented across Derbyshire.

View the Podcast or read the full report here.