About us 

PC Terry Paxton - anti-social behaviour officer

Alice Adderley spent a day shadowing Terry Paxton, an anti-social behaviour officer in Banbury.

Terry Paxton’s day started with a quick catch up of his emails, and with the rest of the members of the anti-social behaviour (ASB) team at Cherwell District Council. Because anti-social behaviour is also dealt with by council staff, for reasons of communication, ASB officers like Terry are often based in the council buildings rather than the police station.

He has worked in his current role for three-and-a-half years and, before that, he worked in intelligence briefing in Banbury.

Before the scheduled Joint Agency Tasking and Co-ordination (JATAC) meeting which takes places every two weeks, we go to visit a man whose threatening behaviour has been complained about by other residents. He was previously the subject of an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and during that time he was well behaved, but now he has begun being abusive to his neighbours. Unfortunately, the man is either out, or chooses not to answer the door, but Terry and his council colleague speak to the next door neighbour who made the complaint. He says his badly-behaved neighbour has been “as quiet as a mouse” since Terry’s last visit. Terry says the decorations and the 'Merry Christmas' sign above the front door belie a nasty character.

We return to the council offices at Bodicote House and Terry tells me about a case he has coming to court the next day which involves a Drinking Banning Order (DBO), the first in the country.

A 24-year-old man from Banbury, Ryan Kane, had been the subject of a Pubwatch order, banning him from entering licensed premises in Banbury for more than three years because of harassment and intimidation of staff and customers. He’d breached the ban more than 40 times so this DBO - which is modelled on an ASBO - would have more teeth. If he breached the two year order, it would become a criminal offence and he could have to pay a £2,500 fine.

Terry kicks off the JATAC meeting which is attended by representatives from the Police, the Fire Service, the Council, Youth Offending Service, Housing, Social Services and Probation. He goes through the latest news in terms of ASB sanctions. The meeting is designed to present a coordinated approach to problem people in the community, and to offer solutions where possible.

After lunch, we get in the car again and go into the centre of Banbury to visit another man whose behaviour has been complained about. This time, we travel with Natasha Barnes, the Licensing and Vehicle Parks Manager from Cherwell District Council. The man runs a catering business and a complaint had been received after an argument with a customer. The man blames the customer for the argument. Terry and Natasha explain they are just there to warn him about his behaviour, as it is the latest in a number of complaints over several years, but he is unreceptive and there is much banging of pots and pans in the kitchen when he disappears from view to serve a customer.

Terry says it’s a shame I didn’t get to see any of his work with young people, as this is the most rewarding part of his job, when you can work with someone and help them turn their life around. He says he has been working with a 16-year-old lad who had been committing anti-social behaviour on the estate where he lived. The boy was given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC), and was kept under close supervision. He now has a good relationship with the neighbourhood policing team and has a steady job in a shop in Banbury.

Terry says at least half his cases involve alcohol, both among young people as well as adults. He says he’s working with his colleagues to make sure he’s always informed when alcohol is seized from youngsters. On the first occasion, Terry will send a letter to the parents, the second time he will arrange a home visit. He also encourages officers to ensure he knows when they are executing a drugs warrant, as getting an ASB sanction in place is all about evidence gathering, and he needs to have as much detail as possible, including statements. He says it can be frustrating if there is a breach of an ASBO as it can be hard to get a punishment which then undermines the sanction. However, there are only five ASBOs currently in Cherwell district, and breaches don’t happen very often. The highs are when he gets results, such as two drug house closures in Bicester and the Drink Banning Order, which was successfully achieved on Friday 3 December, and received national press coverage.

• Read the Daily Mirror’s report about Drinking Banning Order (opens new window).