Antisocial behaviour falls across the city

7:00am Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper

ANTISOCIAL behaviour in Oxford is falling, with new figures revealing that the number of incidents has dropped by almost a third.

There were 4,607 reported incidents between September 11, 2011, and September 10 this year, a 32 per cent fall on the same period in the previous 12 months.

The biggest falls were in Lye Valley, which dropped from 300 to 187, and the city centre, which saw a fall from 1,489 to 976.

The Oxford Mail revealed in June that the number of antisocial incidents has dropped city-wide by a third in the last five years.

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper said: “It is good news for the estate and it is good news for the city. It is down to the residents who report the incidents and the community police officers who are out there patrolling and nipping it (antisocial behaviour) in the bud straight away.

“It is acting as a deterrent. Full marks to the Pcsos, police and the residents.”

In Blackbird Leys, the number dropped from 387 to 311.

Mr Roper added: “I think the residents are getting a little bit cheesed off with antisocial behaviour.

“They see action is being taken and they are more confident in reporting it.”

Ray James, of Rose Hill Residents’ Association, said: “I am pleased at the reduction.

“These figures cover the summer break from school, which makes it more pleasing because of the kids on the street.”

Canact, the Crime And Nuisance Action Team led by Oxford City Council , was formed in 2001 to address issues of antisocial behaviour within the community.

Richard Adams, city council community safety manager, said summer activities run in the school break for youngsters would have contributed to the reduction.

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The only two areas to see an increase were Barton, from 223 to 226, and Littlemore, from 146 to 148.

Mr Adams said officersd have not identified a reason for the slight increases.

He said: “All the areas fluctuate.

“Barton is a relatively busy area for the size of it and I know we have some activity going on there.

“I cannot say why it was increasing and I am not aware of any particular trends in Littlemore.”

To report antisocial behaviour, contact the Canact team on 01865 252969.

Comments(7)

Lord Palmerstone says...
7:31am Tue 25 Sep 12

No change in Luther Street, 200 yards from Police HQ. Perhaps what that lot do doesn't count

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bart-on simpson says...
7:41am Tue 25 Sep 12

The spike in Barton was due more residents reporting to PCSOs and the anti-social pleb family at Greenridges, who were solved by moving them. Simple, innit?

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Myron Blatz says...
10:01am Tue 25 Sep 12

Ever since Labour-led Oxford City Council disbanded 'front line' Street Wardens it has been the Police and especially the overstretched PCSOs who have been trying to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour across Oxford, and the various 'versions' of local politicians who have often jumped on the bandwagon when statistics indicate crime is reduced - but it is actually ordinary people who help make their communities safer, despite a non-emergency phone number which is almost as big a joje to try and use, as City Council's own dial-up call centre! It is also true that official statistics are often only from 'reported crime and incidents' and that almost every time the Police or local Councillors tell everyone about the 'feelgood factor' and how things are improving, that an incident pops-up in the Oxford Mail to suggest otherwise. A good example is the recently reported 'anti-social incident' outside the George pub in Littlemore, which apparently lasted several hours. This apparently happened on the saturday, but somehow took our intrepid Oxord Mail reporters almost a week to get confirmed by Thames Valley Police - despite local people in Littlemore knowing all about it! So another case of TVP 'sitting' on crime to make their stats look better, or held-back due to 'ongoing investigation' perhaps? As for people thinking 'it used to be safer in the old days when we was kids' I'm afraid they must have short memories - in the 1950s it was the 'Teddy Boys' who caused mayhem, whilst in the 1960s it was 'Mods and Rockers' who tarnished their love for scooters and suits, or motorbikes and leathers, with weekend fights, the odd riot or pitched battle, and who today might even be your own grandparents! How times change .......

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Sophia says...
10:48am Tue 25 Sep 12

So much for the good news.

Myron says: "every time the Police or local Councillors tell everyone about the 'feelgood factor' and how things are improving, that an incident pops-up in the Oxford Mail to suggest otherwise."

So, dont bother me with facts or figures, I "know" disorder etc is increasing. Because I heard/read about a disturbance.

If I were the police I'd give up.

Because plainly Oxford Times readers desperately NEED to believe that crime is rising. Telling them it isnt disturbs and disorientates them because they dont know then what to moan about. And they can only deal with life by moaning. Telling them that things have improved could in fact well lead them to create a major disturbance.

Oxford: world class moaning.

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hagar1 says...
3:28pm Tue 25 Sep 12

@ Sophia. Stop moaning.

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ger elttil OX2 0EJ says...
5:17pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Have "anti-social events" whatever they are, actually decreased, or have we just got fed up of reporting them because most of the time nothing happens? e.g. "thank you for your report but we are too busy to send somebody out at the moment"

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Andrew:Oxford says...
6:51pm Tue 25 Sep 12

ger elttil OX2 0EJ wrote:
Have "anti-social events" whatever they are, actually decreased, or have we just got fed up of reporting them because most of the time nothing happens? e.g. "thank you for your report but we are too busy to send somebody out at the moment"
It all depends on what is classified as anti-social.

I read recently, in the Oxford Mail, that a resident of the Lye Valley had made a claim about a councillor that the council investigated and found to be false. The resident of the Lye Valley then complained to the Ombudsman who investigated and were able to confirm that the claim was indeed false.

I've looked at the Thesauraus to find out what other words the council could have used instead of "False" and found :-

Concocted, fictitious, improper, inaccurate, incorrect, unfounded, unreal, lying, medacious, truthless, unreliable, unsound, untrue, bogus, deceitful, deceptive, misleading, dishonest.

All sound rather anti-social to me.

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