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Examining a typology of fire service-related anti-social behaviour

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Crime Prevention and Community Safety Aims and scope

Abstract

The Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) in England and Wales increasingly works alongside the police and other partners to promote safer communities – a key part of which involves tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB). Although definitions of ASB differ and are contested, a number of behaviours considered to be anti-social impact on the FRS and could be termed Fire and Rescue Service-related anti-social behaviour (FRASB). However, fire presents a singular force for damage, injury and death, and as such the particularity of fire has implications for the inclusion of fire-related behaviours within ASB at all. This discussion article aims to present a typology of FRASB, in order to inform debate around practical applications so that police and FRSs can be better equipped to respond to and measure this range of behaviours. An additional objective is of raising the profile of the FRS within this area of work.

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Notes

  1. The FRS constitute part of the ‘emergency services family’ alongside police and ambulance services (and also includes coast guard and mountain rescue).

  2. Car Clear campaigns have included partnerships between DVLA, local councils and police to remove abandoned and untaxed vehicles before they become the victims of further crime and vehicle arson.

  3. Mersey FRS have used fire service appliances to transport police officers to incidents in order to allow their arrival in the community undetected, especially at incidents including abuse or assault of fire crews. These actions have resulted in a number of arrests of perpetrators. However, this has also led to the perception that the fire service are allied to the police, and are therefore ‘legitimate’ targets of violence and abuse within the community.

  4. This is distinct from ‘Setting Fires’ (Table 2) in that this is a specific business behaviour, where businesses are inadequately disposing of waste, in addition to causing a potential fire risk.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Kate Matheson & Sara Williams

  2. Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK

    Rachel Manning

Authors
  1. Kate Matheson
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  2. Rachel Manning
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  3. Sara Williams
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Correspondence to Kate Matheson.

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Matheson, K., Manning, R. & Williams, S. Examining a typology of fire service-related anti-social behaviour. Crime Prev Community Saf 14, 182–195 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/cpcs.2012.2

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