Anti-social behaviour falls in Swindon as partners commit to further action

Swindon Borough Council had previously committed as part of its Swindon Plan to reduce incidents of ASB-reported crime by three per cent year on year.

The reduction of ASB-related crime across Swindon has been supported by the work of Swindon’s Community Safety Partnership, which is a statutory partnership made up of the Council, Wiltshire Police, NHS Integrated Care Board, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Probation Service.

The decline in anti-social behaviour has been supported by Council interventions including the recruitment of new community safety wardens, which have been stationed across identified anti-social behaviour hotspots including Park North, Park South, Walcot East, Old Town, Faringdon Road, plus the town centre and Broadgreen.

The wardens operate both during the day and into the early hours on weekends, sharing intelligence and assisting with enforcement.

Community Protection Notices, Criminal Behaviour Orders and deployable mobile CCTV units have all been used as tools to target anti-social behaviours in specific areas of the Borough.

The Council has also introduced a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering the town centre and Broadgreen. Since coming into effect, enforcement teams have issued 30 Fixed Penalty Notices of up to £100 for breaches of the order, tackling behaviours such as riding of e-bikes and e-scooters as well as street drinking.

A further PSPO will soon be introduced, which will ban people from organising and promoting unauthorised car meets and prevent anyone from travelling to one in a vehicle that is either attending or taking part in an event.

A Community Safety Strategy was agreed by the Council’s Cabinet earlier this year, which sets out how the partnership will prioritise tackling domestic abuse, disrupting organised crime and improving safety within the night-time economy over the next three years.

The Community Safety Partnership also has grown stronger, with several new working groups established to enhance coordination and drive more effective community safety action.

Councillor Jim Grant, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, said: “This sustained fall in ASB cases shows that our joined-up approach is delivering real, measurable improvements for the people of Swindon. Over the past three years we’ve been working even more closely with Wiltshire Police, strengthened our community outreach and have taken firm action where necessary through measures like the new PSPO.

“The fines issued send a clear message that the limited amount of disruptive behaviour we see in our town centre will not be tolerated. But more importantly, they demonstrate that when we combine prevention, engagement and enforcement, we create safer, more welcoming spaces for everyone.

“We’re proud of the progress made so far and will continue to build on this momentum to ensure our communities feel supported and protected.”

Swindon Neighbourhood Inspector, David Tippetts said, “The PSPO has been a welcome addition in the town centre and Broadgreen, providing additional powers to seize alcohol and advise people to cease anti-social behaviour, as well as the further opportunity to issue fines where deemed appropriate.

“Working in partnership with Swindon Borough Council and our partners is essential in order to reduce crime and ASB.”