National Fire Chiefs Council supports UK’s first Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week

Resolve members and agencies across the UK have reported a huge rise in ASB cases during the various national lockdowns. The situation is expected to become worse still as society starts to open up from Monday 19 July.

The NFCC has encouraged Fire and Rescue Services to take part and highlight the work they have undertaken locally to tackle anti-social behaviour in order to mark the launch of the UK’s first official ASB Awareness Week. 

Running from 19-25 July, ASB Awareness Week has been organised by community safety specialist Resolve and is backed by the Home Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Local Government Association and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

The main areas of ASB that affect the Fire and Rescue Service are arson, violence perpetrated against members of staff and nuisance/malicious calls.

Steve Johnson, lead on arson for the NFCC, commented: “The National Fire Chiefs Council recognises the impact that ASB and associated deliberate fire setting has on people; local communities and the environment. Home Office data shows that deliberate fires represent the largest proportion of fires attended by UK Fire and  Rescue Services. ASB and arson are problems that affect all communities and all of the Emergency Services. For this very reason we are taking a stand with our partners and engaging local communities across the country, highlighting the damage ASB and arson exerts on local areas and the impact that physical attacks have on all Emergency Service workers.”  

Rebecca Bryant OBE, CEO of Resolve, added: “We need to change the way in which we think about ASB. It is not low-level crime. It devastates the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime. As the nation begins to recover from the impact of the pandemic and our society and economy begins to return to normal life, it is important that the challenge of ASB continue to be given the priority they need nationally and locally such that people feel safe in their homes and communities. We are delighted to have the NFCC involved in this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”

*For more information visit www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek