By Beth Colson and Dave Walker MBE
28 May 2025
This week, Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, issued a stark warning: police forces across the UK are being stretched beyond their limits. Budgets are tightening, officer numbers are under pressure, and the growing demands placed on police, from terrorism to neighbourhood disorder, are simply unsustainable under current funding.
In the face of these fiscal and operational constraints, we must ask: where is our money going, and is it solving the problem? Nowhere is this question more urgent than in how we deal with anti-social behaviour (ASB).
The answer is clear. We must stop trying to police our way out of problems that are better resolved through community-based solutions. We need to fund mediation —a cheaper, more effective, and socially constructive alternative to punitive enforcement.
The Cost of the Status Quo
ASB remains one of the most frequent complaints made to police and local authorities. Yet the tools we use to respond, such as court orders, dispersals, fines, evictions – are expensive, slow, and often ineffective.
They don’t just drain police budgets. They escalate tensions, displace problems, and frequently criminalise individuals – and especially young people often because of behaviours rooted in poverty, lack of space, or exclusion.
This is not an effective use of public money. It’s a short-term fix that leads to long-term costs.
A Proven Alternative
Dave Walker, a long-time practitioner in community mediation, offers a powerful framework for change. His team has successfully defused high-tension ASB hotspots—from parks in South London to inner-city housing estates, by focusing not on punishment, but on understanding, dialogue, and local solutions.
His method is simple but transformative:
- Engage both sides early—listening to residents and those accused of ASB without judgment.
- Share stories across the divide—building empathy, not suspicion.
- Facilitate safe, structured dialogue—so each side can express their needs and hear the other’s.
- Develop practical agreements—like curfews or community codes, which are monitored by the community itself.
The result? No police. No court. No escalation. And no repeat calls. Just safer communities that solve their own problems—with minimal cost and maximum buy-in.
Follow the Money
It’s easy to overlook the financial case for mediation, but it’s perhaps the strongest argument of all.
- Court-led enforcement of ASB can cost thousands per case.
- Police call-outs to persistent disputes eat up officer hours that could be spent on more serious threats.
- Evictions or formal sanctions often lead to homelessness, unemployment, or further instability—creating downstream costs in health, housing, and welfare.
In contrast, mediation programs cost a fraction to run and regularly achieve lasting resolution. Early intervention prevents escalation, avoids reoffending, and builds community resilience. For a system in crisis, that’s value for money.
Need For a Culture Shift
Beyond cost and effectiveness, mediation is an investment in the kind of society we claim to want. Dave Walker’s work includes conflict resolution training in schools, where young people learn to say, “I’ll see you in mediation,” instead of turning to violence or disengagement. That kind of early cultural change will save future generations—and budgets—from the consequences of neglected social conflict.
Time for a Policy Pivot
If we want policing to be sustainable, safe, and focused on where it’s truly needed, government must:
- Embed mediation into national ASB strategies.
- Reallocate a portion of enforcement budgets to local mediation services.
- Invest in community facilitator training and school-based conflict education.
- Measure outcomes in terms of both resolution and cost savings.
Mediation is not about being “soft” on ASB—it’s about being smart on conflict. It offers a way to de-escalate tensions, reduce costs, and rebuild trust between communities and institutions.
Commissioner Rowley is right to sound the alarm. But the answer isn’t just more money. it’s better use of the money we already have and if we keep relying solely on enforcement, we’ll bankrupt our public services without solving the problems. It’s time to widen the toolkit.
It’s time to fund mediation.
For more on this approach, contact Dave Walker MBE to learn about community-led mediation initiatives across the UK.
