FIGURES can never really tell a whole picture accurately.
But those released yesterday by Kirklees police relating to antisocial behaviour show one of the many problems they face.
It’s been revealed that police received 22,562 calls last year relating to incidents of antisocial behaviour. It works out as around 61 calls every day.
Of course, antisocial behaviour encompasses many crimes – and some of the calls are technically not classed as a crime for police to investigate but a matter for council or housing agencies.
But perhaps people reach for the phone out of frustration or when their patience runs out over a situation.
Antisocial behaviour can be as simple as someone playing music too loudly at night. While that may not be a serious crime, it can make life intolerable for people who want a peaceful life or a good night’s sleep.
There’s good news – if each figure represents a ‘victim’ then the number of people experiencing antisocial behaviour has gone down.
And its undoubtedly the good work of the police which has helped bring that figure down.
With the help of residents they’ve identified priorities and they’re targeting the hotspot areas.
But there’s still more to do and these figures show the depth of the problem police face – and we can all do our bit to help them.
