Join us to explore the root causes of anti-social behaviour in Britain and discuss innovative solutions, from urban design to AI, in tackling this growing challenge.
What is driving the rise in petty crime and anti-social behaviour?
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Anti-social behaviour and petty crime in Britain have reached alarming levels. Recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that shoplifting is at a 20-year high, with a 30% year-on-year increase. Shockingly, 55.2% of anti-social behaviour incidents recorded between 2019 and 2021 received no response from authorities, leading to a vicious cycle.
Some attribute this surge to a breakdown in societal norms and an increasingly permissive culture, resulting in diminished social trust and deteriorating public behaviour.
Conversely, others believe economic factors like the rising cost of living and reduced public service provision, including policing and mental health services, are the real culprits. These conditions foster environments where discontent and maladaptive behaviours thrive, creating feelings of boredom, disenchantment, and mistrust within communities, which fuel anti-social behaviour.
There is also a debate within policing strategies. The broken windows theory suggests that visible signs of disorder and neglect lead to more crime, prompting police to focus on minor offences to prevent escalation. In contrast, the collective efficacy theory posits that social cohesion and community members’ willingness to intervene for the common good can prevent crime and promote social order.
What are the root causes of anti-social behaviour? With council and police budgets under strain, how can it be effectively reduced? Could radical approaches such as innovative urban design, and advanced technologies such as AI offer solutions to this pervasive problem?
Join us to discuss all of this and more.
September 11th, 6:30-8:00pm, The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AT
Speakers:
Rory Geoghegan, founder of The Public Safety Foundation, former police officer and was a Special Adviser on Justice and Home Affairs at 10 Downing from 2020 to 2022.
Lisa McKenzie, senior lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire and author of Getting By: Estates, Class and Culture in Austerity Britain.
Tom McNeil, CEO of JABBS Foundation, improving lives for women and girls, and was previously Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands.
Andrew Kemp, CEO of LitterCam, a tech company that uses AI to identify and report vehicle littering.