Anti-social behaviour and vulnerability analytical tool (ASVAT)

The aims of the anti-social behaviour and vulnerability analytical tool (ASVAT) include:

• identifying vulnerability associated with anti-social behaviour (ASB)
• minimising and managing risk by tasking further call-backs, reassurance visits, or the completion of a vulnerability assessment
• enabling staff to effectively identify repeat victims and create problem-solving occurrences (PSOs), which outlines the problem, determines the response, and records actions taken
• providing effective support and advice to victims of ASB
• supporting district officers in preventing escalation and responding effectively to ASB

The intended outcomes of ASVAT include:

• reduction in repeat victims, offenders, and locations of ASB
• enhanced safeguarding for repeat victims
• increased victim satisfaction, related to the management of ASB incidents
• increased trust and confidence from victims and the public
• reduction in the number of incidents finalised as ASB

West Yorkshire Police (WYP) launched an ASVAT in 2019 to draw together force data on anti-social behaviour. This tool replaced the anti-social behaviour analytical tool (ASBAT) download process, which was completed manually. In the previous process, human error (for example, missing the identification of repeat callers and risk escalation) was a risk factor, and actions taken were not always recorded on police systems as they did not amount to a crime. 

A local policing sergeant, performance analyst and a digital applications support analyst worked with Bluestar Software to design and create this tool, with approval gained from the chief officer team. ASVAT is Corvus based, with links between force systems, STORM and Niche. Every three minutes, the system automatically downloads closed Storm incidents with specific ASB crime and incident codes (Fin-Codes), particularly focusing on incidents flagged as:

• nuisance
• concern for safety
• public order
• anti-social behaviour
• hate crime
• issues such as neighbours falling out (for example, boundary disputes)

Each district has this system embedded to identify vulnerabilities that fall outside of a criminal investigation and victim's code. All force systems that record incidents, crimes and intelligence are automatically linked to the ASVAT record related to a person or location.

Neighbourhood support officers or ASB officers manage the ASVAT system daily, which allows them to: 

• identify repeat victims, offenders and locations
• consider risk and harm across linked incidents
• create and record problem-solving approaches

Actions are recorded on the ASVAT tool and are available for others to learn from and adapt for similar situations in future. The system enables police and partners to be transparent and held to account/audited if required.

When repeat victims, offenders and/or locations are identified, ASVAT generates an operational response such as a call back, repeat visit, or vulnerability check. This can progress to the creation of a PSO which will outline the problem, identify the response, and record actions taken by police and partner agencies. Actions can be allocated directly to neighbourhood officers from the PSO. 

The response to the problem is determined by the neighbourhood policing team (NPT) sergeant for the area. Actions are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) and the OSARA (objective, scanning, analysis, response and assessment) model is used where required. Actions recorded are visible for others to learn from and adapt for similar situations in the future.

The automated process also enables WYP to share data with local authorities, who compile police, council and housing data to analyse partnership ASB and vulnerability threats.

Overall, the force now ensures that no reports of ASB are missed; the automated process downloads every report and the record must be actioned and closed.

Between 2019 and November 2023, 188,242 logs went through the ASVAT system for review and further action, if appropriate. All actions taken to address the ASB record are recorded on the system, therefore, escalations are easily identified and further actions can be put in place by the police or partner agencies.

Overall, the force now ensures all calls linked to ASB are reviewed through ASVAT. All victims are offered re-contact via their local neighbourhood officer at the point of the initial call or through the review on ASVAT, and consideration is given to further problem-solving to increase victim satisfaction.

The ASVAT system has also been used to check crime data integrity (CDI) compliance of incident logs. During a three month pilot that commenced in January 2022, of the 6,233 public order logs reviewed in the system, only 63 required further action (1%). CDI compliance positively sat at 99.7%. 

• Codes to include when automatically downloading calls – the force initially included concern for safety calls which became unmanageable due to the volume of calls. Secondary codes were subsequently implemented to ensure the calls were relevant to the purpose of ASB and vulnerability.
• Impact on workloads – district workload increased as more calls were being reviewed, therefore, the force had some push back. However, reiterating the rationale for the tool’s implementation and ensuring there were dedicated staff available to manage ASVAT helped to resolve this issue.
• Tasking facility – the ASVAT system has a tasking facility to request further work, such as consideration of a problem-solving approach by local NPT or for a revisit to the victim. However, this was not well embedded because WYP use a different system for local daily tasking. Therefore, it was decided to not use the tasking system within ASVAT, but to continue with the original process.