POLICE in Essex are not identifying vulnerable victims of anti-social behaviour because of the deterioration in the use of intelligence, a report has found.
However, the force said anti-social behaviour (ASB) had reduced by 14.5 per cent in the county in the last year despite budget cuts of �42million.
In the report, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) acknowledged the fall but added it could mean ASB was not being treated as a priority in the same way as other crimes.
Assistant Chief Constable Maurice Mason said: “The answer to reducing ASB is not for the police alone and Essex Police will work with key partners such as the county and district councils to ensure this reduction continues.
“According to local residents Essex Police have made progress in three of the four areas examined in the report.
“Increased satisfaction with their treatment by the police, increased numbers who feel we made a difference to the problem, and increased satisfaction with the information police provided after they called us have all improved since the 2010 report. However, we recognise that further work is required.”
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