Working smarter on ASB

Cleveland Police and the North East’s largest social housing provider have ‘gone live’ on an anti-social behaviour (ASB) case management platform that will enable them to “work smarter” and take swift action to resolve issues and protect victims.

The web-based ASB system will allow Thirteen Group and other community safety partners to work more effectively and efficiently with Cleveland Police and each other, with clear lines of responsibility and accountability reducing duplication.

A risk-assessment matrix on the system allows agencies to assess and grade victim risk and vulnerability against a consistent framework to ensure an appropriate tailored response.

The system has been commissioned by Cleveland police and crime commissioner Barry Coppinger.

He says the ability to include locations of concern as well as cases, and link multiple perpetrators and victims, ensures a joined-up approach, helping to prevent different agencies working with the same victims/perpetrators without realising it.

Thirteen Group and the police have already used the module from the E-CINS (Empowering Communities Inclusion and Neighbourhood Management System) platform in a number of cases, including ‘managing a location of interest’ in respect of criminal damage, racist graffiti, attempted theft of metal gates and general widespread anti-social behaviour affecting a number of residents in the area, and a repeat persistent caller who was creating unreasonable demands on police and community safety partners; a joined-up plan of action resolved the issue.

Gilly Marshall, group ASB manager for Thirteen Group, said: “All community safety agencies are being challenged to work smarter and more efficiently and the ASB module has enabled us to start working in this way.

“The benefits include time and cost savings, avoidance of duplication, joined-up approach and improved quality of responses.”