Bognor Regis residents encouraged not to report anti-social behaviour on Facebook

A recent survey commissioned by Arun District Council found that people using or dealing drugs and littering were the most prominent issues identified by residents with a ‘significant increase’ in drunken rowdy behaviour reported.

Of the more than 1,300 respondents, 32 per cent saw drunk and rowdy behaviour in public as a problem – up from 27 per cent in 2021.

Perceptions that graffiti and vandalism were problems also increased from 26 to 30 per cent. The number of people reporting drug use or drug dealing as a problem was up to 43 per cent, compared to 41 per cent last year, and 15 per cent of respondents thought noisy neighbours were a problem, up from 12 per cent in 2021.

Residents in the west of the district said these issues were worse than those in the east.

According to BMG Research Ltd: “The significant increase in problematic behaviour in the western areas since 2021 compared to the average, indicate that more attention is needed to tackle the issues residents are facing which will ultimately increase overall satisfaction of residents from Western areas.”

During ADC’s Policy and Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday (13 December) several councillors expressed frustration with local policing.

Matt Stanley (LDem, Marine) said: “The place that gets reported to me time and time again for this kind of behaviour is Station Square. I’m aware this is a difficult situation because the district council has invested a significant sum of money in the public realm. But from an anti-social behaviour perspective it hasn’t worked and it does need to be addressed. It’s not going away.”

A crime map for Bognor Regis shows 75 reported incidents during October, seven of which were on Station Road.

James Walsh (LDem, Beach) said: “The responsibility for dealing with it largely is the police – It’s not this council. Several of us have been bearing down on the police for at least five years, probably longer, and it’s getting us very little forward.

“Anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, and vandalism are big problems around the whole district and are, in my view, getting worse. The public are demanding that the police actually react to it. How often do we hear now about reports that are made to the police about such and such and all they do is a crime number?”

Officers pointed out that many responses were based on perceptions and may not necessarily reflect actual increases in anti-social behaviour or littering.

Dr Walsh believes there is an incorrect perception that those living in the east of the district are treated differently to those living west of the river.

Council leader Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) said: “It’s incumbent on all of us councillors, east and west, to correct those perceptions.”

Alison Cooper (Con, Rustington East) works with the Safer Arun Partnership and made a plea to residents to always report crime properly. She also called out ‘vile’ comments made about the police on social media.

Mrs Cooper said the police are ‘not psychic’ and rely on crime reports to respond to issues locally.

“I just think they get a really bad press when they’re doing an awful lot,” she said.