Colchester: Sustained fall in anti-social behaviour and violent crime

Crime is falling in Colchester as officers work to tackle issues ranging from anti-social behaviour (ASB) to violent offending and domestic abuse.

Recent action has seen officers work with partners to secure a closure order on a property with known links to frequent ASB, a key conviction secured against a teenager who robbed children at knifepoint and a domestic abuse perpetrator sentenced.

Across the district, we’ve seen 1,768 less incidents of overall crime across the year to March 2024 – a fall of almost 10%.

One of our main focuses in Colchester is on tackling ASB, and we’re seeing a sustained fall in offences in recent years.

This includes a drop of 434 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March 2024. That’s a decrease of 20% year-on-year.

We’ve recorded 3,393 fewer ASB offences since 2019 – a drop of 65%.

'There is always more we can do'

Chief Inspector Colin Cox, Colchester district commander, said:

“I remain confident residents concerned about issues of disorder, or public nuisance, in Colchester feel able to report these matters to us.
“Despite the fact we are seeing the figures move in the right direction, and we’re recording less incidents of ASB than we were five years ago, we know that fact will mean little to a member of the public who does regularly fall victim to this issue.
“ASB can have a real impact on quality of life in any neighbourhood in Colchester.
“My Town Centre team and my wider community and local policing teams know tackling ASB needs to remain right at the top of our list of priorities.
“My message will always be that you must keep telling us about these problems where they do arise.
“Even if you don’t see an immediate response, these reports build a picture of where we’re seeing issues arise, allowing us to work with partners like Colchester Council to devote resources where they are needed, or to form a longer-term solution to meet the problem head-on.
“We use this data to target our patrols to deter ASB, we host drop-in clinics with our PCSOs to understand concerns residents have. We make sure we use legal powers, with the council implementing Public Spaces Protection Orders and our use of dispersal orders when necessary, to stop these issues in their tracks.”

Ongoing work

Working with partners remains key, and just last month Colchester Borough Homes worked with our community policing team to see a Closure Order secured against a property in Chant Court.

This followed numerous reports of serious anti-social behaviour, including violence, threats, drug and solvent abuse, and noise nuisance emanating from the property.

Residents came forward to support a community impact statement, highlighting the negative impact the behaviour had on their quality of life.

Their unwavering support played a pivotal role in securing the court order.
Anybody breaching the order will now be liable to arrest and imprisonment.

Tackling violent crime

This positive trend extends to violent offending, with incidents of violence against the person down by 712 year-on-year – a decrease of 9%.

Incidents of robbery of personal property have decreased by 7% across the same period.

Last summer our teams were made aware of a growing issue involving a known offender robbing young teenage victims at knifepoint in Colchester.

In Castle Park on 1 June, an e-scooter was taken from a 16-year-old boy, and in Old Heath Recreation Ground on 2 June, a bike was stolen from a 15-year-old boy.

Thanks to proactive police work, we swiftly arrested the individual responsible – a 17-year-old boy, who can’t legally be named due to his age.
He was put before the courts for sentence last month.

Breaking the cycle of abuse

A high proportion of offending in Colchester happens out of public view, behind closed doors and perpetrated by domestic abuse offenders.

We have dedicated Domestic Abuse Investigation and Problem Solving Teams – and their work is having an impact.

In the 12 months to March 2024, we saw domestic abuse offences fall by 582 – a decrease of 19% year-on-year.

This included a fall in the number of high-risk cases.

This year, when we saw an abuser from Colchester breach his restraining order soon after his prison release, we had him in handcuffs and back before the courts.

He pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court in February and was sentenced to six months in prison. His restraining order remains in place until 2027.

Police Constable Robert Kedar, of our Domestic Abuse Problem Solving Team, said:

“He is a perfect example of why we work so hard to monitor the behaviour of those released from prison following crimes such as domestic abuse, domestic violence, and stalking.
“We have several teams that work in tandem to deter perpetrator behaviour, apply court orders to prevent repeat offending and break the cycle of abuse, and catch those that continue to harass and subject others to their crimes.”

'Please reach out to us'

Ch Insp Cox added:

“These are just several examples of the continuing work my officers do in our efforts to keep Colchester safe, tackling a range of different issues from nuisance behaviour right up to violent offending.
“For us, it is day-to-day work, and we remain very busy across all of our teams. The challenge persists and I understand the hurdle we face in ensuring residents consistently feel confident in their local police force.
“I would simply reiterate that we do demonstrably act when we do see offending off all types occur, even if we don’t always get it right.
“The vital point is we can’t act effectively if we aren’t hearing from our communities.
“Please do feel confident in reaching out to us and in telling us about the issues you are seeing.”

David King, Leader of Colchester City Council, added:

“We understand that residents in Colchester have faced concerns about anti-social behaviour and other crimes. We're encouraged to see the significant progress made by Essex Police and the wider Community Safety Partnership network co-ordinated by the council, tackling these issues across the city.
"This sustained reduction in crime, particularly anti-social behaviour, is a testament to the hard work of Essex Police and our strong partnership approach. We are committed to working together to make Colchester an even safer place for everyone to live, work and visit.
“The success of the closure order in Chant Court, secured through collaboration between the police, residents and Colchester Borough Homes, demonstrates the power of our communities working together.
"We will continue to invest in initiatives that tackle crime at its root causes and empower residents to feel safe in their neighbourhoods.”

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