Staffordshire Police has published a new action plan setting out how it will work with communities and partner organisations to reduce anti-social behaviour across the county.
The plan covers the whole Staffordshire force area, including Stone and Stafford Borough, and focuses on early intervention, support for victims and action against repeat offenders.
The action plan says anti-social behaviour can include aggressive, noisy or abusive behaviour, vehicle-related nuisance, neighbourhood disturbances, drug-related issues, abandoned cars, problems involving animals, and public space disorder. The plan also lists common trends across Staffordshire, including youth-related nuisance, neighbourhood disputes, noise complaints, substance misuse linked behaviour, environmental anti-social behaviour, town centre disorder and rural issues including off-road vehicle misuse.
Staffordshire Police says it will work to prevent anti-social behaviour by identifying trends through police intelligence and community information.
It also says the force will focus on repeat and vulnerable victims, with improved identification, risk assessment, support and safeguarding referrals.
The plan is built around four areas of work, prevent, protect, pursue and prepare.
Under the plan, Staffordshire Police says it will work with partners including community safety teams, schools, youth services, housing providers, health services, local authorities and the voluntary sector. It also says it will use a range of interventions against offenders, up to and including prosecution, with repeat offenders targeted through problem-solving work and partnership case management.
The plan says anti-social behaviour incidents in Staffordshire continue to show a seasonal pattern, with peaks usually seen during the summer school holidays. It also says overall incident volumes have increased year on year, with community nuisance making up more than 75% of reported anti-social behaviour incidents.
Figures included in the plan show 17,808 anti-social behaviour occurrences across Staffordshire in the latest completed 12 month period, compared with 14,993 in the previous 12 months.
For the Stafford local policing team area, which includes Stone, the plan records 1,794 occurrences in the latest completed 12 month period, compared with 1,529 in the previous 12 months.
Reporting patterns are described as broadly stable, with most reports made from mid afternoon into the early evening, and larger volumes on Fridays and Saturdays.
Force lead for anti-social behaviour, Superintendent Alan Lyford, said
“We do not underestimate the impact that ASB can have on local people and businesses.
“We use a range of orders to combat ASB and between July 2024 and July 2025, we issued 236 community protection warnings, 180 dispersal powers and 122 community protection notices.
“The new plan sets out how we will work alongside partners to reduce ASB by delivering early intervention, targeted enforcement and sustainable prevention through partnership-led, intelligence-driven policing that improves community safety and confidence.”
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams said
“Tackling the anti-social behaviour that can damage our communities is a priority for me as Commissioner. I am continuing to directly support our local community safety partners to address the issue alongside the police, so I welcome Staffordshire Police’s renewed commitment to pursuing offenders and supporting victims through their action plan.
“Each person’s experience of ASB is different, which is why I commission the ASB Harmony service to offer a range of emotional and practical support for victims that is tailored to their individual needs.
“If you’re experiencing ASB, please make use of resources available, such as case reviews and community remedies, and report incidents to Staffordshire Police by calling 101. If you need support to help you recover from the impact of ASB, contact ASB Harmony on 0330 1757 258.”
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said
“Anti-social behaviour damages more than property; it chips away at people’s confidence, pride and sense of belonging in their community. Left unchecked, it can make residents feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods.
“By working together with our partners including the police, housing providers, schools, health services and local communities, we can prevent problems early, support victims and hold perpetrators to account. This means we can create a safer and stronger Staffordshire for everyone, which is a key aim of the county council’s recently published Community Safety Strategy.”
The plan says members of the public should report anti-social behaviour to police if it involves crime, violence, threats or immediate danger.
Ongoing issues such as noise complaints, littering, graffiti or other community disturbances that do not need an emergency response may be dealt with by the local authority.
Anyone experiencing anti-social behaviour can report it to Staffordshire Police by calling 101 or using Live Chat on the Staffordshire Police website.
