Commissioner launches pioneering team to work with frontline police officers and clamp down on youth anti-social behaviour

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has launched a dedicated team to strengthen the response to anti-social behaviour in Northamptonshire, as part of a brand-new pilot project.

Danielle Stone’s ASB Early Intervention Team is believed to be one of the first teams in the country working directly alongside frontline police officers to intervene at the earliest opportunity and provide specialist support to children aged 10-17.

Each of the seven Neighbourhood Policing Teams across Wellingborough, Rushden, Northampton, Daventry, South Northamptonshire, Corby and Kettering, will have their own ASB Targeted Intervention Officer who they can refer a young person to.

The pilot project is gearing up to launch in Rushden over the coming weeks where there have been anti-social behaviour issues among young people.

Before, there has been limited options for police to achieve a positive outcome for low-level behaviour.

Now, they will be supported by a youth specialist whose job it is to swiftly step in and provide one-to-one help or tailored family workshops to unpick what’s happening in the young person’s life and stop their behaviour from escalating.

They will also equip the young person with preventative education around incidents they might have been involved in, either at home or in the community, such as criminal damage, harassment, assault, theft and public nuisance.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “Communities told me they just want to feel safer, and I have drawn together all the right services with a shared mission, to tackle anti-social behaviour and meet my mission for public safety.

“My new ASB Early Intervention Team will give police officers a meaningful pathway for a young person who has caused harm and provide a consequence for their disruptive behaviour.

“This proactive approach not only prevents escalation into more serious criminal activity but also gives young people, and their families, the chance to change course and build a positive future.”

Assistant Chief Constable Adam Ward said: “Anti-social behaviour is a crime that can affect anyone, and we know how upsetting and isolating it can feel to be a victim of it.

“That’s why this innovative approach is very welcome as it not only aims to reduce the number of victims but also works with young people to identify the root causes of their behaviour with a view to helping them onto better paths.”