Anti-social behaviour ‘relatively low’ as police prioritise ‘higher harm’ incidents
Chris Sewell said anti-social behaviour ‘attracts a lot of attention’ but cases are very few
POLICE in Shetland have to focus their attention on “higher harm areas” than anti-social behaviour, area commander Chris Sewell has said.
He said though it “attracts a lot of attention”, the police were focusing on areas such as domestic abuse, sexual violence and drugs.
Sewell stressed that Shetland has no more of an issue with anti-social behaviour than other parts of Scotland, and records lower crime figures in this area.
It comes following a high-profile incident in May, in which two teenagers were taken to hospital after a widely circulated video of them being attacked at Lerwick’s Esplanade.
There have also been a number of media reports about anti-social behaviour in Lerwick’s Lanes.
However Shetland’s area commander said there had been no repeat of May’s violence – and said anti-social levels in Shetland were relatively low.
“I don’t think there’s any more of an issue with anti-social behaviour here than anywhere else in the country,” he told Shetland News on Tuesday.
“In fact, I probably think we experience less, or we do experience less if you look at the figures.
“I understand the harm that anti-social behaviour causes to communities and those experiencing it, but the number of incidents in the lanes is relatively low”.
Sewell said anti-social behaviour perhaps attracts more attention because it is so visible.
But he pointed to figures for other major crimes in Shetland, and said these were the areas the police needed to prioritise.
“We’ve experienced a number of other issues which arguably are higher harm,” he said.
“How many domestic incidents have we had in that time, how many sexual assaults have we had in that time?
“I know those numbers and I know they’re far higher than the number of anti-social incidents.
“But by nature of anti-social behaviour in the town centre being visible it attracts a lot of attention.”
The majority of young people who use Lerwick town centre “do so in a responsible way”, he stressed.
“There is a very small minority involved in anti-social behaviour,” he added.
Sewell appeared on a podcast by the OPEN youth charity earlier this year, in which he directly answered questions from young people.
He said he wanted to be able to try and engage with them directly, and to address their concerns.
While Sewell said that anti-social behaviour would always be taken seriously, he stressed the police needed to prioritise work in other areas.
“Ultimately I need to consider where the harm lies, and I’m not saying antisocial behaviour doesn’t cause harm because it does to those that experience it, but there are other arguably higher harm areas we need to focus on for Shetland.”
Referring to both domestic abuse and sexual violence, Sewell went on to praise local organisations Shetland Women’s Aid and The Compass Centre.
The area commander said he “couldn’t speak highly enough about the work” that both charities do.
“I am so supportive of what they’re trying to achieve, and it’s so important to champion the work both agencies are doing.
“They really want to drive meaningful change in Shetland.”
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