Dyfed-Powys Police have taken the ASB Pledge
Dyfed-Powys Police have taken the ASB Pledge.
We are delighted to work with Dyfed-Powys Police, who have taken the ASB Pledge, which commits officers and staff to giving victims of antisocial behaviour a voice. It is essential we put victims first.
Dyfed-Powys Police was awarded the ASB Help Pledge after creating a clear process which enables the force and partners to play an active role in resolving entrenched antisocial behaviour.
The pledge helps organisations to create effective policies that make it easier for victims to invoke the ASB Case Review (also known as an ASB case review).
We hope more agencies take the ASB Pledge, so we can ensure victims are put first and Anti-Social Behaviour is resolved as quickly as possible.
Read more about how you can take the ASB Pledge here: http://asbbackup-com.stackstaging.com/community-trigger/the-asb-pledge/
Read more on the ASB Case Review here: http://asbbackup-com.stackstaging.com/community-trigger/
Read the full story here: https://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/19203853.dyfed-powys-police-awarded-commitment-victims-antisocial-behaviour/?ref=twtrec
Updated Victim's Code
New rights for victims of crime introduced
On Thursday 1st April 2021, an updated Victims’ Code came into effect, introducing 12 rights for victims of crime and setting out the services and standards that must be provided to victims by the police and other criminal justice agencies.
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, more commonly known as the Victims’ Code, is published by the Ministry of Justice and it’s applicable from the moment a crime is reported to the end of a trial in court.
Merseyside Police has welcomed the changes to the Victims’ Code and the force has made it clear that it is committed to ensuring victims of crime are fully supported and kept informed at all stages of a case.
The force has introduced contact cards and information leaflets which will be given to victims when a police officer first attends the report of a crime. The new cards allow officers to provide a reference number and a clear point of contact for enquiries about the case.
The new leaflet contains a lot of useful information. This includes an overview of the next steps following the crime being reported, plus information about the victim’s rights, compensation, the Right to Review scheme, the role of the Witness Care Unit and how support services can be accessed via Victim Care Merseyside.
Victim Care Merseyside is a dedicated support resource for victims of crime, commissioned by Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner. The website has a comprehensive directory of services available to victims throughout Merseyside. Victims can easily find specialist support in their local area that can help them cope and recover from the aftereffects of a crime.
Remember, if you report a crime, the police will discuss what support you may require. Be open and honest – the sooner they understand your needs as both a victim and potential witness, the sooner they can put the right support in place or refer you to an organisation that can assist.
You can find more details about your rights under the Victims’ Code and read the full Victims’ Code document, published by the Ministry of Justice by visiting: www.gov.uk or https://www.victimcaremerseyside.org/my-rights/the-victims-code
Victims Law Policy Paper
The victims' commissioner for England and Wales has called for a law to ensure people affected by crime are treated properly as they wait for justice. The paper, published today (24th February 2021) sets out her ambitions for long-awaited Victims’ Law, and calls for criminal justice agencies to be more accountable and for victims to be accorded “participants’ rights".
The full paper, published today (24th February 2021) can be found below:
ASB statutory guidance update
The government has published strengthened guidance for local agencies around anti-social behaviour to ensure that victims have their voices heard.
Changes to the guidance:
- Updated references to legislation and to reflect the new Sentencing Code
- Further clarity on the process of the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review/ASB Case Review to make sure there is a greater focus on the impact of anti-social behaviour on victims; including that relevant bodies should always consider inviting the victim or, if more appropriate, a representative to a section of the case review meeting and highlighting that local areas can have independent chairs for the review meetings
- Emphasising the requirements for local agencies to publish details of the ASB Case Review procedure to ensure that victims are aware that they can apply and to annually publish specified data.
The link to the full statutory guidance can be found here:
Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act: anti-social behaviour
Call for research participants:
I am Amanda Steele, and I am a graduate student in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. I am collaborating with Dr. Craig Smith of Vanderbilt University (USA) on a study examining how people are thinking, feeling, and dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. I am inviting you to take our completely anonymous survey through the link, below.
The entire survey should take about 20 minutes to complete, but could take longer, depending on how much you think about each question. In addition to taking the survey, we encourage you to pass it along to people you know (friends, acquaintances, family members, etc.) who you think might be interested in completing the survey. They, too, can be encouraged to pass the survey on to others. The only requirement for participation is that you are aged 18 years old or older. Through this survey, we hope to learn about how people are contending with the pandemic and the challenges it presents in a way that can help inform mental health professionals and self-help efforts in the future. We are deeply grateful for your time and contribution during this particularly challenging time.
Link to survey:
https://oxfordxpsy.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79xd4FshTmpE5gN
The First National Voice for Victims of Anti-Social Behaviour
Press Release: The First National Voice for Victims of Anti-Social Behaviour
It’s High Time Victims of Anti-social Behaviour received help to know their rights and get results.
ASB Help has launched what it believes to be the first national charity focused on providing information and advice to victims of anti-social behaviour. Motivated by the tragedy of Fiona Pilkington who in 2007 took her own life and that of her daughter’s after police ignored her 33 pleas for help, ASB Help seeks to provide an impartial voice for vulnerable victims across the country and make sure the new legislation works in their favour.
Baroness Newlove, herself a victim of anti-social behaviour which resulted in the tragic death of her husband, has expressed her delight at the launch of this service acknowledging that “no one should have to suffer its [ASB] consequences in silence but unfortunately there are still so many people doing just that”.
ASB Help reports that although in its early stages it is already receiving evidence of such suffering – over a third of respondents to the charity’s online survey state they have reported the issue more than three times and 76% of respondents state their problem, although reported, has not yet been resolved. In fact, only 6% report a satisfactory resolution to the issue.
“It’s particularly concerning” commented CEO Jenny Herrera, “to see a survey respondent state they believe there is a hate incident against them and yet they either didn’t know they should have gone to the police, or they have and the harassment continues”. ASB Help hopes to guide victims of anti-social behaviour so that they can report it to the right agency in the right way and as the charity grows, provide much needed personal support to those who feel no one’s listening or are suffering in silence.