Wakefield Council gets tough on anti-social behaviour

Wakefield Council and partners are using new measures to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) across the district.

The Council, the Wakefield Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), and other partners have joined forces to take strong action. Together they have delivered a series of high-impact initiatives to improve public safety. 

Wakefield Council and partners came together to launch the Wakefield City ASB Task Force in early 2025. Activity to take a combined, robust effort to crackdown on anti-social behaviour ramped up over summer as part of the Government’s Safer Streets initiative.

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in Castleford and Wakefield have been actively enforced to address street drinking and disorder. Community Protection Warnings (CPW), Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN), referrals and warnings have all been issued to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The Council successfully obtained a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against a man responsible for persistent anti-social behaviour in Pontefract. The order prohibits him from entering the town centre between 6am and 6pm and from being drunk or having any open alcoholic drinks in public.

This and other CBOs obtained by the Council continue to be enforced by the Police. In July, for instance, two people who were subject to CBOs in Castleford were arrested and remanded in custody to appear at court in relation to breaches of their orders. There are now over 30 individuals subject to CBOs in Wakefield city centre alone.

Another example of partnership working is CCTV surveillance which has played a pivotal role, contributing to 155 arrests in July and August. Offences included assault, disorderly conduct and drug dealing. In one incident CCTV evidence led to the arrest of a man and woman on suspicion of two assaults in Wakefield city centre. In another, it helped identify a man suspected of a serious assault in Pontefract town centre which had left the victim unconscious with potentially life-threatening injuries.  

Superintendent Al Travis, of Wakefield District, said: “The public tell us that they want to see highly visible policing with officers and police community support officers in uniform in their communities. We have increased peak time patrols and are focused on making our town and city centres safer by tackling issues like shop theft, street crime, and anti-social behaviour.

“We want to and are achieving reductions in incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour in our neighbourhoods, but what is also really important is that people actually feel safe. We know the massively detrimental impact that the actions of a small minority can have on how safe people feel. That is why the work we are doing with partners as part of the Wakefield City ASB Taskforce is so important as it takes a longer-term, collaborative approach to dealing with persistent offenders.”

The Community Safety Partnership continue to engage with the public and local businesses. A key priority has been raising awareness of PSPOs and how instances of anti-social behaviour can be reported.

You can do that via Live Chat online, by using the relevant online reporting form or by calling 101. You should always phone 999 in an emergency where there is a crime in progress or threat to life.