Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones is tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) by funding specialist wardens jointly with councils across the police force area. 

The commissioner has allocated £750,000 to reduce ASB which will fund specialist wardens employed by local authorities. 

The officers will carry out patrols in ASB hotspot locations identified through police data. A total of £37,500 has been allocated in Test Valley. 

The move is a new way to tackle anti-social behaviour in partnership with local authorities to free up police officer time to respond to crimes and emergencies during the busiest period of the year. 

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The number of hours and patrols carried out by the ASB wardens will be monitored and reported to the Home Office to track the positive effect and reduction in offending. 

Ms Jones said: “The summer is a busy period for policing. Crime reports shows anti-social behaviour increases during the summer months. If not managed, issues can escalate into more serious crimes putting pressure on policing resources.

“The public have told me they want ASB to reduce and by working with councils I’ve been able to ensure we have more boots on the ground in the right locations to prevent anti-social behaviour.

“The presence of uniformed ASB wardens has been proven to have a positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour. These dedicated wardens will reduce the pressure on police officers responding to ASB, whilst working closely with neighbourhood policing teams to ensuring the extra police time is spent on responding to crimes in action.”

Shelley Coburn, Andover BID Manager, said: “The additional funding received from the PCC by the Andover BID has enabled enhanced ranger coverage to seven days a week, as well as an increase in daily hours. This has allowed us to address safety and security concerns raised by town centre businesses, residents, and visitors. These extra resources will aid the objective of reducing anti-social behaviour and shoplifting in identified ‘hotspots’, whilst also enhancing public confidence.” 

MP for North West Hampshire Kit Malthouse has welcomed the funding. He said: "This money is very good news. As I promised during the election, I’ve been pressing Hampshire police to do more to stamp out anti-social behaviour in Andover.

"It is clear to everyone that we need more visible uniformed presence in areas like the town centre and around our train station. These specialist wardens, working closely with our new police officers, will make a big difference."