Anti-social behaviour in Doncaster fell in 2021 but reports of prostitution, off-road motorbikes, and begging all increased

Documents seen by councillors shows that 2021 saw a decrease in South Yorkshire-wide anti-social behaviour incidents – in Doncaster this decreased by 22.6 per cent which was larger than the force-wide figure of 20.9 per cent.

The highest increase of 45 per cent was noted in May 2021 compared to May 2020. The ASB categories that saw the highest increase in that period were litter/drugs paraphernalia, noise, and nuisance neighbours.

It’s been said the large increase in these incidents when comparing May 2020 and May 2021 is likely down to the strict coronavirus lockdown compared to the year after when much more of society was open to people.

Council bosses have outlined achievements and priorities in tackling ASB across the borough and said they would continue to bid for funding for initiatives like the Safer Streets Scheme which resulted in 57 additional CCTV cameras dotted around Hexthorpe.

Bosses also said a successful campaign via Edulog in schools during lockdown means the council will continue to enhance ASB reporting via social media platforms.

Rachael Long, crime and community safety theme manager at DMBC, said: “The level of crime and anti-social behaviour incidents will impact on residents’ feeling of safety and their quality of life.

“The impact of coronavirus restrictions temporarily changed the types of ASB being committed. Since mid-2021, types of ASB are starting to revert to pre-March 2020 volumes.

“The strategic vision of the Anti-Social Behaviour Theme Group is to prevent and resolve ASB as early as possible, using enforcement measures where preventative interventions have failed.

“Through promoting positive citizenship, we aim to prevent, tackle and reduce ASB.”