Working together to crack down on anti-social behaviour
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Wakefield Council, West Yorkshire Police, and other partners of the Anti-Social Behaviour Taskforce continue to take strong action against anti-social behaviour across Wakefield district.
Over the last year, partnership working between the Council and West Yorkshire Police has resulted in 31 Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) being granted, as well as 154 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs), for offences including theft, breaching PSPOs, drunken and disorderly behaviour and fly tipping. This included a five-year CBO and a custodial sentence of over two years for persistent shopping lifting and breaching a current CBO.
“We’re determined to make sure our district is a safe and welcoming place for everyone. And we know that, for residents and businesses, tackling anti-social behaviour is a key priority.
“That’s why we’ll continue working closely with partners to prevent anti-social behaviour and to take firm action against those who harm our communities and undermine the quality of life for others. I’m pleased we’re able to use our enforcement team to be able to keep residents and businesses safe.”
Cllr Daniel Wilton
Cabinet Member for Communities
Across the district, work is being done to counter persistent fly-tipping in Eastmoor with 138 enforcement letters and 2 FPNs.
In November, the Council extended the requirements and location of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Wakefield city centre. This strengthens powers for the Council and Police to address anti-social behaviour that negatively impacts public spaces. The Council has also implemented a district-wide PSPO to prevent people using vehicles in an anti-social manner. The new PSPO came into force on 1 December.
Chief Inspector Emma Hooks, who leads on partnerships and community policing in Wakefield District, said: “The ASB Taskforce was set up to address the rising fear of crime by adopting robust measures to manage prolific offenders and those causing the most harm.
“This has resulted in significant reductions of crime within the city centre, most notably theft from shops, and has made visitors to the city feel safe.
“There has been some good enforcement of the new PSPO in the city centre despite only being recently implemented and it is hoped that this can be replicated elsewhere in the Wakefield district following the impending review of PSPOs in Castleford and Pontefract later in the year.”
Cllr Wilton added: “The extension of the city centre PSPO and the new PSPO for car cruising across the district will help us keep our public spaces clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.”