Colchester: Anti-social behaviour falls by 36% in 12 months

Incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Colchester fell by 36.4% in 2023 with 937 fewer offences reported.

The city has two of Essex’s 11 Operation Dial zones – hotspot areas that receive dedicated ASB patrols from police and Colchester City Council’s enforcement officers.

Essex’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner invested £1.1m to combat ASB in the county thanks to funding from central government as part of their Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy which is designed to deliver high visibility patrols, public engagement, targeted youth outreach and early intervention.

The two areas - in Greenstead and off Cowdray Avenue – had previously seen regular instances of ASB.

In residential Greenstead, there have been reports of people shouting, swearing and loitering outside the Hunwicke Road shops, as well as disputes between neighbours.

The area off Cowdray Avenue, which contains Leisure World and the skate park, has seen nuisance vehicle noise and inappropriate driving during evenings and weekends with large number of youths gathering to use McDonald’s.

Since the launch of patrols in the two Dial zones, officers have made 10 arrests, stop searched 22 people and issued 29 informal warnings.

Across Essex’s 11 Dial zones, there have been 62 arrests, 199 stop searches, 122 informal warnings given, and 55 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued.

ASB in Essex is down by 68% in five years and Inspector Jenna Mirrington-French, who leads Colchester Community Policing Team (CPT), said the dedicated patrols were helping to reduce offending.

“We have seen a continual fall in the number of anti-social behaviour offences reported to us, which shows our focus on ASB is having an impact.

 “Anti-social behaviour damages communities and can have a devastating effect on people’s lives. Nobody should feel intimidated or harassed in the area they live or work.

“As part of the Safer Colchester Partnership, we have strong relationships with the council and local partners, and we are working together to use our powers to reduce offending and tackle the underlying issues.

“We know residents and local businesses like to see police officers out on patrol so we will be maintaining a highly visible presence in areas where incidents have been reported.

“It’s also important people continue to report ASB to us or the council. The more we know, the more we can do to combat problems before they develop.”

If you witness anti-social behaviour, please report it to us via our website or by calling 101. For issues around fly tipping or abandoned vehicles, you should contact the Colchester City Council. If a crime is being committed, always call 999.

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To find out more about our different reporting services, 999 BSL and much more visit our Help Us Help You page.