Thames Valley Police (TVP) has launched a campaign to empower witnesses and victims of antisocial behaviour (ASB) to speak out and report incidents, featuring artwork designed by a student at Milton Keynes College. 

Towards the end of last year, TVP visited graphic design students from Milton Keynes College to talk to them about ASB and the effect this can have on communities. 

The students were given the opportunity to design adverts to support the campaign and encourage reporting of any instances of antisocial behaviour that they see.  The winning design was by Milton Keynes College student Chiamaka Ahaneku.  

ASB is not always categorised as a crime and often takes a multi-agency response. It can also occur during an incident which involves another crime type.  

A national report into antisocial behaviour in 2024, published by Resolve UK, found that there were likely more than five million incidents of ASB nationwide in 2023. Not only that, ASB has forced more than one in seven of us to consider moving home, with one in four left feeling unsafe in their area.   

Dishearteningly, YouGov data continually shows that more than half of victims or witnesses to all types of ASB do not report them. In the last three years, only 26 per cent of victims and witnesses reported an ASB incident to the police.   

Head of Thames Valley Police’s Community Policing Command, Superintendent John Batty, said: “Antisocial behaviour can take many forms, from noise nuisance and graffiti to neighbour disputes and drug dealing. It can be a real blight on people’s lives. ASB is not a crime in itself but a description for a number of behaviours, many of which can be criminal offences.  

“The police are not always the agency with the right powers to tackle every ASB issue, for instance local authorities have the powers to deal with noise nuisance. However, it is important that agencies work in partnership, to identify and tackle the root causes of ASB. In order to do that effectively, we need people who are affected by ASB to report it to us.”   

Deputy Head of School for Arts and Media at Milton Keynes College, Kyle Kirkpatrick, said: “It’s fantastic that our students have been able to support the new campaign against antisocial behaviour from Thames Valley Police. They all loved working on a project that can make a real difference in local communities and the designs that they came up with were fantastic. We’re particularly proud of Chiamaka for producing the winning design, and we’re hopeful that her design can help to make the campaign a success”.  

Thames Valley Police urge anyone who experiences or witnesses ASB to report it  via their  website.  

For more information on studying Graphic Design at Milton Keynes College, visit Graphic Design Advanced – MK College 

MK College student appointed Civic Cadet for Northampton

A student from Milton Keynes College has been appointed to the prestigious role of Civic Cadet from Northampton Sea Cadets. 

Leading Cadet Robert Knight, who is studying a T Level in Engineering at the College, has been a member of the Northampton Sea Cadets since 2017 and received the role because of his commitment and dedication to the cadet unit. In recognition of this he was nominated to represent the unit for the town of Northampton.  Robert’s role will involve him supporting the Mayor and Mayoress of Northampton in their official civic duties throughout their term. 

Northampton Sea Cadets aims to give young people an experience that will help them grow into the person they want to be in a safe and friendly environment. Through various activities and adventures, the cadets learn teamwork, respect, loyalty, self-confidence, commitment, self-discipline, honesty and how to be the best version of themselves. 

Robert commented: “It is a real honour and privilege to be given this opportunity. It’s always been a goal of mine to be the Mayor’s Cadet and by learning from my peers who took this role in previous years, I feel I can represent the unit at civic events well.” 

Robert’s tutor, Craig Stevens, added: “Robert is an excellent student who actively engages in his studies and excels in his tasks through hard work and dedication. Everyone at the College is very proud of Robert for being appointed to this prestigious role, and I have no doubt he’ll do a fantastic job”.