This November a survey done by the Oxford City Council carried out by Oxford residents, showed that 91 per cent of residents feel safe during the day, while only 68 per cent felt safe during the night. Only 20 per cent said they felt unsafe.
Most of the anti-social behaviour (ASB) residents issued as problems in their area were linked to dangerous driving, illegal and dangerous parking, and fly tipping.
There was also a split on whether the council and police were dealing with ASB effectively, where 37 per cent said they agree and 37 per cent disagreed.
Now the City Council has taken action. Every other Tuesday from 12pm to 2pm Barton Neighbourhood Centre and East Oxford Community Centre opens for residents to speak to the Community Response Team (CRT) about how to handle anti-social behaviour.
Thames Valley Police statistics over ASB in Oxford Barton, Risinghurst and Sandhills shows that there has been a rise from nine anti-social behaviour crimes in August 2025, to 16 in August 2026. On the other hand, Cowley has seen a decrease from 45 crimes connected to ASB in August 2025 to 32 this August.
The anti-social behaviour has been discussed by the BBC over the last few years, questioning why ASB crimes fall and still continue being a problem.
Councillor and Cabinet Member for a Safer Oxford, Lubna Arshad, says the sessions are a great opportunity to speak to the CRT face to face, and that it can be easier to talk to someone in person. Arshad adds that “our team is here to listen, offer advice and help address your concerns”.
Alongside working with how to tackle anti-social behaviour, the CRT deals with environmental crime, enforcement and supports Clean, Green Oxford to help monitor public safety.
According to the Oxford City Council, the sessions “are intended to provide advice and support”, although they do not offer immediate emergency response. They also advise residents to contact police, if issues involve crime or an immediate risk.
The most recent session was held on November 3.
In Oxford South East, the Thames Valley Police statistics show that there has been a fall from 28 ASB crimes in August 2025 to 25 this year. There has been variation in the numbers of crimes throughout the last year, with a peak in May with 41 crimes.
Starting from 10 November, there will be drop-in sessions at Leys Pool and Leisure Centre from 11pm to 1pm every second Tuesday until January, and from 9 November the team will be attending Breakfast in the Barn sessions in Greater Leys once a month. These sessions take place from 9.30am to 11.30.