Pro-Vice-Chancellor gets it wrong on anti-social behaviour

Professor Graham Towl and police bemoan ‘increasing’ student drinking – despite their stats showing no pattern

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Professor Graham Towl, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Warden, claimed wrongly that anti-social behaviour in Durham was “increasing” despite facts showing he’s wrong.

New rules and standards have recently been introduced, to the anger and dismay of many students.

Professor Towl said: “Hopefully this will assist in addressing the increasing complaints to the police of anti-social behaviour in and around the city.”

An investigation from The Bubble showed complaints decreased from October 2014 to January 2015.

However the dates published by The Bubble show only a limited amount of time. The paper admitted: “the previous months of 2014 did not show a clear long-term trend in the upwards or downwards direction.”

During much of December 2014, and the beginning of January 2015, many students were not in Durham due to the Christmas Vac.

It dropped from 26 complaints in November, to 11 in January of this year. The last data of a full month of student attendance come from November.

Yet accusations have been made that the police actually passing on the information despite there being no upward long-term trend of complaints.

Laura Carter, Community Officer, said: “The ‘increasing complaints’ comment came from the police. We are very unhappy with recent efforts to portray students in a negative light, including the recent comments from the Chief Constable.”

Inspector Dave Coxon, Head of Neighbourhood Policing in Durham, claimed that the complaints, “naturally rise and fall throughout the year.”

It comes amid accusations that the police in Durham are disproportionately targeting students in a bid to respond to the recent tragic deaths of students.