Accredited Community Safety Officers are working with the community to make a Safer Havant. 

The Accredited Community Safety Officers (ACSOs) are working in your local area to help and advise you on community issues and concerns.  The first ACSOs were put into place in 2004 to help tackle community safety issues such as anti-social behaviour and youth nuisance.  The Havant team now consists of eight officers who work hard to serve their local community, giving help, information and advice on issues which affect your everyday quality of life.  Officers also work hard to engage with young people in order to get the right message across about acceptable behaviour.

You will probably have already seen the ACSOs in your local area as they carry out high visibility patrols on foot, using bicycles and in prominently marked vehicles equipped with CCTV.  The officers not only give advice and information on community issues, but where appropriate they can issue penalties for a variety of offences such as consuming alcohol in designated public places and throwing fireworks in the street.  Officers also assist in monitoring Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) and enforcing Anti-Social Behaviour orders (ASBOS) and can confiscate alcohol and cigarettes from young people who are under-age.

The Accredited Community Safety Officers also use a ‘Yellow Card’ scheme, which is designed to challenge young people’s behaviour and help them to recognise their responsibilities to others.  Over 1200 Yellow Cards have been issued with corresponding letters sent to parents.  This system also gives officers the opportunity to identify individuals who need additional specialist support.