New team starts work with police and schools to crack down on anti-social behaviour
Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone has launched a dedicated Team to strengthen the response to anti-social behaviour in this county through community policing and in schools.
Danielle’s ASB Early Intervention Team is working in partnership with Neighbourhood Policing Teams and schools, who will each have their own Targeted Intervention Officer they can refer a young person to, to prevent harmful behaviours from escalating.
They will provide one-to-one help, or longer intervention for up to 12 weeks with the whole family. They will work at the earliest opportunity to explain the impact of anti-social behaviour and understand the causes, before offering support.
Rushden Academy is among the first schools to collaborate with the team, as part of the Commissioner’s mission to protect young people from crime.
For one day a week, students who have been involved in low-level incidents, either at school or in the community, will work with an ASB Targeted Intervention Officer.
Students are identified by their heads of year or safeguarding leaders for specialist support, with the aim of reducing the risk of permanent exclusion further down the line.
Targeted sessions can also be used to reintegrate children who have been suspended, back into school.
Danielle said: “Young people in this county deserve the best start to life and we must find bold and engaging ways of working to make a meaningful difference.
“We know specialist early intervention works to prevent future consequences of crime in communities and empowers children to make safer choices.
“I’m pleased that my dedicated ASB Early Intervention Team are now firmly on the ground supporting children to reflect on the impact of their behaviour while giving them real-life advice to choose better paths.”
Projects awarded more than £100,000
Three new community initiatives have been funded through Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone’s Safe and Sound Communities Fund.
More than £100,000 has now been awarded to Northamptonshire organisations that help to improve community safety, reduce harm and offending or support vulnerable people across the county.
The latest beneficiaries are:
- Creating Change – £10,000 awarded to a project to help victims of physical and sexual violence and perpetrators of domestic abuse towards recovery
- 7th Corby Kingswood Scouts – £1,390 to fund equipment to keep exploring Scouts safe
- The Pen Green Centre in Corby – £9,979 funding granted to launch a domestic abuse victim support programme for men
Creating Change
This project, run by Michelle Christie of ALTR IMPACT CIC aims to help survivors of physical and sexual violence towards recovery, and perpetrators of domestic abuse to address their behaviour and reduce reoffending.
Through therapeutic group and one-one sessions, participants are supported and given digital resources and practical tools they can continue to use independently.
The programme, which starts in March, will be delivered by Michelle, a family law barrister and yoga teacher.
Michelle (pictured with Danielle) said: “My experience as a barrister highlighted a clear service gap. Victims of serious crime, and those who have caused harm, often receive little or no specialist aftercare to support healing or to break entrenched patterns of behaviour.
“Emotional regulation is a skill like any other, yet many people have never been taught how to develop it. After trauma, many victims feel disconnected from their own bodies. This programme helps people rebuild safety from the inside out.”
The Pen Green Centre
The Pen Green Centre has received funding to support The Voice programme, which will provide in person support for men who have experienced domestic abuse.
The programme explores the physical and mental effects of trauma and teaches self help strategies to encourage recovery.
Carol McFarlane has run The Voice programme for women for eight years and wanted to offer it to men after noticing a gap in the support they receive.
She said: “It’s so important that men who have experienced domestic abuse feel heard, understood and not alone. For many, this may be the first time they’ve had a safe space to talk about what they have been through, and The Voice programme aims to offer exactly that – a place where they can finally feel supported and start to rebuild.”
Danielle said: “I want to support projects that identify the sticking points in our system, and I am committed to promoting prevention, supporting survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable.”
Supporting girls at risk of hidden exploitation
A specialist safeguarding programme is expanding, after a six‑month pilot revealed that many girls at early risk of criminal exploitation were not being identified by services.
Early Intervention Officer Sophie Branston
The Girls’ Pathway, launched by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone’s team, forms part of the county’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls. The pilot, delivered through the joint Northamptonshire Police and Commissioner’s Youth Violence Intervention Unit, worked with girls who had come to police attention or were linked to males involved in criminality.
Between June and December 2025, 49 girls were identified for support, many facing overlapping risks including antisocial behaviour, substance misuse, violence and exploitation.
The pilot also highlighted that some girls were being deliberately targeted because they attract less suspicion, with several disclosing that they were being “used” or groomed.
Danielle said the early findings show why prevention is essential: “The pilot makes it clear that too many girls are being drawn into risk in ways that are almost invisible. The Girls’ Pathway shows what can happen when we find vulnerability early and wrap support around a child before harm becomes rooted.”
The project has already demonstrated strong impact and a permanent countywide programme launched in January 2026, led by Early Intervention and ACE Officer Sophie Branston, who continues to work closely with schools and social care to intervene earlier and prevent harm from escalating.
Girls’ Pathway at a glance
Early findings
- 49 girls identified and offered support during the 2025 pilot
- Over half linked to peers already known to the Youth Violence Intervention Unit
- 1 in 4 were looked after children
- Risks most commonly included: antisocial behaviour, substance misuse, violence and exploitation
Our impact
- 77.8% reduction in crime among the girls supported
- 88% reduction in associated crimes through joint OPFCC and police early intervention work
- 73 girls triaged for support since the programme began
Why the pathway matters
- Girls are increasingly targeted because they may appear less visible to authorities
- Early signs of exploitation often present as
- going missing
- mental health concerns
- antisocial behaviour
Knife crime sculpture to teach message of hope
A powerful new sculpture highlighting the impact of knife crime, and offering a message of hope for the future, will be installed in Becket’s Park later this year, funded by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone.
Winning student Amy Allebone, with the judges
The piece, designed by Northampton College student Amy Allebone, was selected as the winning entry in the college’s ‘Sculpture of Hope’ competition, where students were challenged to create a public artwork responding to the theme of serious violence and its effect on local communities.
Amy’s design, ‘Holding onto Hope’, depicts a lone figure with a heart-shaped void that allows light to shine through, representing both the devastation caused by knife crime and the belief that recovery and hope can emerge from loss.
The sculpture will now be handcrafted in steel by the College’s Fabrication and Welding team before installation.
Amy said: “I had the original idea a while back and had a few goes at it, before getting it to a position where I was happy with it. I want to raise awareness of such an important topic, which brings tragedy to everyday lives but also show a message that things can get better.”
Danielle Stone said: “It was inspiring to see how thoughtfully the students responded to the brief, producing powerful designs that captured the collective grief surrounding knife crime. The creativity and sensitivity shown made the judging process incredibly difficult.”
Upgraded attack rig to help improve firefighter training
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has a new training rig that helps firefighters hone their skills to deal with real life fires and protect the public.
The new container – known as an ‘attack rig’ – is now in place at the training centre in Chelveston.
Along with the ‘demo rig’, it is one of two rigs that are used to train new recruits and for firefighters to refresh their skills on a regular basis.
The demo rig allows students to see firefighting conditions and fire development in temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius. They then move on to the attack rig to practice their new skills.
Jason Lister, training projects manager for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The attack rig we had in place was old and near the end of its lifespan. It was important to get a new attack rig in place so that we can continue to provide a realistic training experience for our firefighters.”
