Joining Forces team expanding to increase capacity and responsiveness to anti-social behaviour

Barnsley Council has strengthened its response to anti-social behaviour by expanding its Joining Forces partnership, increasing capacity, improving responsiveness, and enhancing community safety across the borough. 

Joining Forces brings together key members of staff from the council’s Safer Neighbourhood service, South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, and Berneslai Homes. By working side by side, this partnership supports residents and helps keep neighbourhoods safe. 

To date, this partnership has delivered visible, on-the-ground action through neighbourhood and town centre wardens, tackling low-level crime, environmental offences and anti-social behaviour.  

A public space protection order is also in place in the town centre, giving the police, council and other officers additional powers to deal with low-level anti-social behaviour. 

The latest expansion will further enhance support for residents, reinforcing the borough’s integrated policing and safer communities model.  

A strengthened team is now in place, including two additional neighbourhood wardens providing reactive coverage to residents up to 10pm on weekdays and 8pm at weekends.  

An Investigating Officer has also been appointed to lead up to 15 high-profile cases, and a Berneslai Homes Anti-social Behaviour Officer will join the team on council housing specific cases.  

The council will continue to work closely with South Yorkshire Police to tackle local challenges, including nuisance caused by off-road vehicles, particularly off-road bikes. 

By working together with other partners, diversionary activities can be identified for young people to help them to understand the impact of their actions and discourage further anti-social behaviour and future criminality.   

For residents who report incidents that are assessed as medium or high-risk, a 24/7 anti-social behaviour response line managed by the Safer Communities service will also be available. 

Activity under the expanded service is already underway in New Lodge and Athersley North, two areas previously experiencing higher levels of anti-social behaviour. Early work in these communities has already contributed to a reduction in reported incidents, though targeted enforcement activity continues to ensure this progress is sustained.   

Additionally, Cudworth Park has been a designated a priority patrol area after reports of anti‑social behaviour. Joint patrols with South Yorkshire Police were introduced, signs were installed in the park, and a residents’ survey to better understand the issues. This work has led to eight warnings issued to young people and their parents, and the resident who first raised concerns reporting a clear reduction in anti-social behaviour.  

Furthermore, Berneslai Homes tenants have had access to a dedicated mobile app for over twelve months, providing a quicker, easier and more secure way to report anti-social behaviour and submit digital evidence directly to the appropriate team.  

The app enables timely updates and secure messaging with an allocated Case Officer, supported by coordinated responses from the Safer Neighbourhoods Service and Berneslai Homes. 

Access to the app has now been extended to include some of the other cases we support, ensuring that a wider range of individuals affected by anti-social behaviour can benefit from improved communication and a more streamlined service. 

This combined strengthened provision supports Barnsley Council’s commitment to ensuring residents and visitors to the town feel safe, welcome, and proud of the communities they live in and enjoy. 

The expansion also supports Barnsley Council’s Love Where You Live programme, which focuses on working together to enhance local communities. 

Councillor Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said:

“In Barnsley, we invest in supporting our communities because we care. Expanding our Joining Forces provision means we can respond more quickly, support residents more effectively, and help ensure people feel safe where they live. 

“With so many fantastic things happening across our borough, we want both residents and visitors to feel safe, welcome, and able to enjoy everything Barnsley has to offer. We’re proud to work together with partners to deliver a safer Barnsley for everyone.”  

Regular updates on how the team is responding to anti-social behaviour will be shared on Barnsley Council’s Facebook page. These regular updates will clearly demonstrate the actions taken in response to residents’ concerns.  

To find out more about the Joining Forces partnership, visit www.barnsley.gov.uk/joining-forces. Residents can continue to report incidents to the team by email at safer@barnsley.gov.uk.