Anti social behaviour more prevalent?

[Chosennone]

Is it just rose tinted glasses or is there an increase in anti social behaviour? Does it depend on area? Is it because i live in a reasonably naice area that is only recently being affected? I'm talking about people openly smoking weed, loud drunken behaviour in peoples gardens/yards, litter and smashed bottles on the street. Our local Police force advertised a new campaign on facebook asking the community to report drug dealing and people trafficing surely they are actual crimes rather than anti social behaviour. Our council tax increase is being used to hire more Police officers to the local area, i'm hoping they will be visible.
What actually is going on with drugs? They're bloody everywhere

That's what happens after years of austerity. There are 20,000 less police than in 2010, youth services have had massive funding cuts, people are reliant on zero hour contracts so can't pay their bills. Put all that together and you can understand why people turn to dealing/ running and taking drugs.

Add to that, dealers are taking advantage of those worst hit by the cuts. Can't get a job? No problem, here's a scooter and you can be a courier for me. You'll rarely find a proper dealer with drugs on them, they pass them on to the youths who take them out, and if the police do catch them, it's the youth that gets in trouble.

I've seen deals happen outside my house, and would lose count at the number of scooters that go past. It's going to take years and years of investment to turn it around.

Its more widely reported tht it was - some people have short memories - teddy boy gangs, mod gangs, skihead gangs. And I certainly remember riots like Broadwater Farm, Brixton, Toxteth. Drugs have always been abundent if you wanted them.

Interesting question and I would guess it depends on area.
My perception is that drug taking has become more common and tolerated in society generally.
I think in social housing at least anti social behaviour has slightly reduced from a low point in the 80s and 90s. Enforcement seems much better now.
I agree with you that drug dealing and people trafficking are actual crimes. To me anti social behaviour means things that are intimidating but not quite criminal (drug use as opposed to dealing, noise nuisance, groups of lads hanging about)
I guess, being generous to the police here, that actual crimes sometimes present as anti social behaviour complaints. If there's a brothel, for example, neighbours will complain about noise, rubbish and men coming because it effects them directly. They might mention the welfare of the women almost in passing, even if they suspect trafficking and Coercion are going on.
With drug dealing the police sometimes take a two tier approach. CID might be a surveillance operation on a particular house. And at the same time there might be a "problem solving team" picking up complaints about discarded needles and encoraging people to report stuff. Obviously they can only speak openly about one of these activities. It doesn't necessarily mean crime is being tolerated or downgraded to anti social behaviour.

Where I live is quite rough so I’m used to people discreetly dealing in the street

Now they are not discreet and sometimes the whole high street smells of weed.

I think maybe it’s encroaching on naice areas now? I don’t know. One of my neighbours grew up in an area with a major gang problem in the 80s and his observation is that most of London and surrounding area now has a gang for every little area.

When I saw your thread title, I couldn't help but think of the Clown on the Cruise Ship farce (thought at first that one had been invented by a comedy script writer). This is the story with the brawl that ensued when fellow-passengers took exception, as they had paid to have a 'no fancy dress' code and someone had seen fit to flout it by wearing - of all the horrors in the world - a Clown Suit!

Wouldn't be at all surprised if Pennywise were somewhere, laughing his socks off. It seems even cruises are not what they were ...

When I was young living in the decent part of my city with my parents there was still drug dealing, gangs, fights etc.

We lived fairly near what was considered 'a bad area's events I can remember was a full on riot on the nearby housing estates, which essentially came down to a fallout between 2 dealers. Another neither caused a gas explosion in a tempt to tamper with his meter. Killed 2 people. A child who was their mother drug runner, trying the drugs en route and dying at age 7. Spates of car vandalism. Occassionally on a night, every car on a street would have paint poured on it.

Kids taking over doese and dying in the local Macdonald's car park. Stabbing etc.

I now live one counsel estate on the other side of the city. Same issues, but nowhere near dramatic. I know there is a dealer near by. Both trouble, no break ins. Everyone gets on quite well and it's quite.

Its classed as a fairly rough area, but we love it. Not trouble. No kids even causing usual kid issues.

When i was growing up in the 90s it was relatively easy to get hold of drugs if you wanted them. I did not know any fellow teens drug running though. The whole county lines issue seems newer. I guess the pp comments on Austerity are very true. Apparently there are 14 year olds making a grand a month round here which certainly trumps my waitressing job at that age.
HMO have sprung up everywhere to try and address the housing issue. Many people on low incomes can't afford a one bed flat and homelessness referrals are at an all time high. The HMOs in our town have a terrible reputation for anti social behaviour and crime. Surely housing vulnerable people with mental health issues and addiction together in squalid conditions is a recipe for disaster. Council estates used to get a bad rep but ours is quite palatial in comparison to the squalod HMOs

I was born in 82. So I am talking 80s and 90s.

Mum still lives in the same house, far less trouble now.

Same in our area OP. It's a pleasant village in commuter belt, and according to our neighbours never had much crime at all.
The past few years antisocial behaviour and teens dealing drugs (and the same teens breaking into houses) has increased to the point where almost everyone on our road has got some kind of security camera set up.

I also presumed it was to do with austerity. Certainly when we've called the police to report break ins they have said very sorry, we're on our knees here- no resources to come out, can't do anything.

I'm aware of lots more ASB - kids throwing stones at passing cars, for example. I realise I haven't personally seen things get worse, I've just joined local facebook groups. On the other hand, the list of crimes in the local neighbourhood watch newsletter is definitely getting longer.

I think we ignore at our peril the growing wealth inequality in our society. Being poor doesn't excuse bad behaviour, but there's a difference between being poor and seeing a way out through education and hard work, and being poor and feeling that there's no way you can change the situation. It's a big ask to expect people to respect a society that has excluded them. (And before everyone jumps on me, I'm not saying that being poor means you indulge in crime and ASB. It's a small minority of both the well off and the less well off).

Yes the growing gulf between rich and poor must mean that young disengaged kids with no hope are easy to manipulate/use. The whole roadman/drill/gangster culture promotes it too.