How should Cornwall tackle antisocial behaviour? You get a say

The group that gathers outside the shop every evening. The same doorway, the same noise, the same reports that never seem to change anything. If antisocial behaviour has ever made you think twice about walking through your own town, the people drawing up Cornwall’s next plan for it want to hear from you.

A six-week public consultation on Cornwall’s new Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Strategy has opened on the Let’s Talk Cornwall website, and it runs until late November.

The strategy is being developed by Safer Cornwall and partner organisations, including Devon and Cornwall Police. The aim is to reduce antisocial behaviour, support victims and strengthen the way agencies work together when local concerns are raised.

Who is being asked

Pretty much everyone. Residents, businesses, community groups, town and parish councils, housing providers, young people and partner organisations are all encouraged to take part before the final strategy is considered for approval in early 2027.

The consultation page also reaches out to a group that is rarely asked. It invites people whose own behaviour has been described by others as antisocial to explain what was happening in their lives at the time, what support was there, and what could have helped them and the people around them.

Responses cannot be linked back to the person who gave them, the page says. They are grouped with others to pick out common themes, and only the people analysing the survey and developing the strategy will see them.

📷The draft strategy's plan on a page. Credit: Safer Cornwall

The five priorities

The emerging strategy is built around five areas:

• Partnership working
• Prevention and early intervention
• Problem-solving approaches for people and places
• Supporting victims
• Engagement and communication

A one-page summary of the plan fills in some of the detail. It includes earlier help for young people, outreach workers who specialise in drugs and alcohol, and better use of community spaces such as youth clubs and community centres.

For victims, it points to greater use of mediation, new victim risk assessments, continued use of closure orders and using existing powers to protect victims of domestic abuse and hate crime. It also commits to reviewing Public Spaces Protection Orders to make sure they are fit for purpose, and to being ready for new legislation, including Respect Orders, which the summary dates to October 2026.

On the reporting side, there are plans to update the ASB information webpages, roll out reporting platforms for businesses and make sure reporting is simple to use.

What the evidence found

The proposed priorities draw on analysis of local and national evidence, reviews of ASB data, needs assessments and workshops with partners on safer town centres, young people, housing, and the use of ASB powers and tools.

Early findings point to concerns about how visible antisocial behaviour is in public spaces, and to its links with vulnerability, homelessness and complex needs. They also highlight the importance of early support for young people and the need for even stronger partnership working across Cornwall.

The plan summary puts some numbers alongside that. It lists 340 people contacted in relation to being affected by ASB, 47 properties or locations of concern reported, 374 adults and 172 young people engaged with this year, and approximately 7,300 police-recorded ASB incidents.

Victims first, but root causes too

Cllr Thalia Marrington, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported in the place they call home and while some people who engage in antisocial behaviour may face complex challenges, victims’ needs must come first. This strategy combines support with accountability, addressing root causes while ensuring victims are heard, protected and supported.

“Antisocial behaviour can have a real impact on people’s daily lives, which is why it’s important that we hear directly from residents about the issues that matter most to them.

“This consultation is an opportunity for people from every part of Cornwall to help shape our priorities for the years ahead. Whether you’ve experienced anti-social behaviour yourself, work with people affected by it, or simply want to help make your community a better place, we want to hear your views.”

📷Credit: Safer Cornwall

How to have your say

The survey asks whether the proposed priorities are the right ones for Cornwall, and whether there are other issues that should be dealt with before the strategy is finalised. You can take part through the Safer Cornwall Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy survey on Let’s Talk Cornwall.

Anyone with questions about how their information is used can email [email protected]. More on crime and policing in Cornwall is on our news pages.

Among the things the plan says success would look like: residents understanding what ASB is, knowing how and where to report it, and feeling confident that their report matters.