PCSOS to resume home visits in battle to combat rising levels of anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour has risen by 55 per cent in Sussex over the last seven months with 1,945 incidents recorded in February to 4,315 in August, according to Sussex Police.
Although a large proportion of this can be attributed to Covid guideline breaches, young people have still been involved in over 1,500 of incidents recorded in that time.
A police spokesman said: “There is understandable concern from police and partners that this behaviour could escalate into more serious criminality if they do not intervene and provide wrap around support at the earliest possible opportunity.
“Police Community Support Officers have visited the homes of 900 families over the last year as part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s REBOOT programme and, during lockdown, officers have continued their vital interventions via telephone to help combat this rise. They are now resuming home visits.”
Sussex Police is working with NHS Partnership Trust, Youth Offending Service and local charities in order to deliver REBOOT.
This is a county-wide, early intervention programme that engages with young people at risk of falling into a pattern of violent or criminal behaviour.
If a vulnerable young person comes to the attention of Sussex Police they are referred to the REBOOT scheme and a PCSO will visit their home to speak to the young person involved.
They will notify the family of the young person’s behaviour and talk about the potential consequences if they continue.
They also make the young person aware of morepositive activities in their area that they could get involved in.
Just by engaging the whole family in this way, 74 per cent of young people have not come to the attention of the police again or needed to be escalated to stage two of the programme where they would be assigned a REBOOT Youth Coach.
PCSO Celia Joyce says that it has helped Sussex Police to manage young people’s behaviour in lockdown: “At the moment with Covid there are less things open and less for young people to do so we are finding that they are hanging around in large groups and are getting up to things they maybe wouldn’t before because they are bored.
“Our REBOOT visits give us the opportunity to deter them from this behaviour and chat to them about why it isn’t safe to be gathering in large groups at the moment and how their actions may be affecting the community.
“It’s great to be able to talk 1-1 with them and steer them in the right direction if they have lost their way a bit.”