New initiative to crack down on anti-social behaviour with new ‘Public Space Guardians’ in Fareham

Fareham Borough Council is working with partners Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Constabulary, Y Services and Motiv8, to tackle anti-social behaviour after Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, allocated £750k to fund specialist Public Space Guardians. Fareham was allocated £37,500 of this funding and its Public Space Guardians now carry out patrols in anti-social hotspot locations.

The council said this partnership approach ensures there is a visible presence for longer periods of time. The number of hours and patrols carried out by the Public Space Guardians will be monitored and reported to the Home Office to track any reduction in offending at the end of the summer period.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “The summer is a busy period for policing. Crime reports shows anti-social behaviour increases during the summer months. If not managed, issues can escalate into more serious crimes putting pressure on policing resources.

“The public have told me they want ASB to reduce and, by working with councils, I’ve been able to ensure we have more boots on the ground in the right locations to prevent anti-social behaviour.”

Executive Member for Health and Public Protection at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Joanne Burton added: “It has been proven that having uniformed Public Space Guardians has a positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour. Our guardians not only help to reduce incidents of ASB, but can engage, signpost, submit intelligence and support Police Officers at a very busy time of year. 

“This initiative fits in with Fareham’s partnership approach to working and I look forward to monitoring the results.”