Welcome to the ASB themed edition of the Safe in East Sussex summer bulletin.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) is defined as “Behaviour by a person which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the person.” You can read more about the Home Office's ASB Principles.

ASB can have a ripple effect across communities, and the root causes can be complex. It is important to report all incidents of ASB, however minor, to help police and local councils target problem areas. 

To find out more about the different types of anti-social behaviour and to report visit: Report antisocial behaviour | Sussex Police Each District and Borough council also has online mechanisms to report ASB, noise and nuisance. Scroll down to see links to your local council. 

Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, or if the crime is in progress. Call 101 to contact the police if the crime is not an emergency.

A new project has been launched to reduce shoplifting and other anti-social behaviour in Hailsham. The Disc project provides a digital platform for shops, businesses and police to share information about shoplifters in the area. The Disc smartphone app has been funded by the government’s Safer Streets fund for the next three years and is free for businesses.

Hastings Borough Council recently renewed the ASB PSPO for another three years.

PSPOs are made under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and are valid for up to 3 years. They enable local authorities and the police to address serious anti-social behaviour in specified public places.

Everyone has the right to feel safe and be safe when out and about in areas where they live, work and visit. In East Sussex, police officers carry out dedicated patrols in streets where people have reported feeling unsafe – identifying, deterring and disrupting anyone behaving in a suspicious, predatory or offensive manner. The government have opened a consultation about creating an offence of public sexual harassment - you can respond until 1st September.

Various schemes support and respond to Street Communities in East Sussex. A multi-agency partnership focuses resources in Eastbourne and Hastings and includes representatives from the business community, local authority and enforcement. Overarching support is provided by the Rough Sleepers’ Initiative, which is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team specialising in mental health and substance misuse. Project ADDER also delivers specialist outreach programmes that divert members of Hastings’ Street Community into treatment services and away from town centres.