Anti-social behaviour is on the rise in county says crime survey

ONE in 10 people in Leicestershire think their area has a high level of anti-social behaviour.

The figures come from Crime Survey for England and Wales and refer to the year to March 2018.

Some 10.1% of people in Leicestershire said where they live was suffering high levels of anti-social behaviour, the highest rate in at least three years.

It was up from 3.5% in 2016/17, and 9% in 2015/16, based on responses to the Crime Survey for England and Wales increasing concern about levels of anti-social behaviour might not just be a matter of perception.

A total of 33% of people in Leicestershire said they witnessed or experienced anti-social behaviour in their area in 2017/18, up from 28.9% in 2016/17 and 28.6% in 2015/16.

A fifth of those who responded to the survey in Leicestershire said there was a very or fairly big problem with people using or dealing drugs where they live (22.7%), while 13% said teenagers hanging around on the streets was a problem.

A quarter of people (26.9%) complained about a fairly or big problem with litter left lying around, while 15% thought vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate property damage was an issue.

Nearly a quarter of people (23.6%) said they thought people being drunk or rowdy in public places where they live was a problem, while 6.4% said noisy neighbours or loud parties was an issue.

While the perception that anti-social behaviour is on the rise in Leicestershire and more people are witnessing it or experiencing it, dissatisfaction with the police and council in dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime is also growing.

In 2017/18, just over half (54.6%) of people in Leicestershire agreed that the police and council were dealing with issues, compared to 61.1% in 2012/13, while nearly a fifth (17.8%) disagreed, compared to 13.4% in 2012/13.

Across England and Wales, a tenth of people (9.6%) said there was a high level of anti-social behaviour in their area, and a third (33%) had witnessed or experienced such behaviour in 2017/18, according to the figures published by the Office for National Statistics

That was the highest rate in at least three years and up from 30.1% in 2016/17.

Dissatisfaction with how well the police and councils are tackling antisocial behaviour and crime was also growing, with 58.8% agreeing that they were dealing with the issues, down from 61.3% in 2016/17, while 16.6% disagreed, up from 14.7%.