Anti-social behaviour has been labelled as the top priority for police commissioners when they take office next year, according to an opinion poll.

Conducted by ComRes for the Local Government Association (LGA), 71% of those surveyed said antisocial behaviour should be one of the top three priorities for police commissioners when they take office in November 2012.

Gun and knife crime was second on the list with 43% while 36% said property crime should be the priority.

Chairman of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board Cllr Mehboob Khan said: “Most councillors up and down the country would not be surprised that anti-social behaviour is uppermost in people’s concerns about their areas. Local authorities have come a long way in understanding what works when it comes to dealing with anti-social behaviour. It is vital that when elected police commissioners arrive in office next November that this expertise is not cast aside.

The poll also found that only 23% of respondents knew elections for police commissioners where taking place while one in three (38%) respondents said they would be more inclined to vote for a candidate that lived in the area.

The public elections for police commissioners will take place on November 15, 2012.