New powers to help parish councils tackle anti-social and environmental crime were announced by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, David Blunkett
At the same time, the Government announced an extension of work its TOGETHER campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour, including plans to engage anti-social people in drug treatment.
Civil courts will be given new powers to engage individuals issued with an anti social behaviour order (ASBO) in drug treatment under plans currently being developed by the Home Office. The move will reinforce existing court and police powers to order the drug testing and treatment of offenders, to help break the link between drugs and crime, it is claimed.
The Government also plans to extend the role of parish councils in tackling anti-social behaviour, and will legislate at the earliest opportunity, it says, to give them powers to issue fixed penalty notices for offences which blight communities like dog-fouling, graffitti, litter, fly-posting and night-time noise.
Fifty communities across England and Wales have been designated as ‘TOGETHER Action Areas’ and are set to get extra help to tackle anti-social behaviour, the Home Office says.
One year on from the publication of the Government’s national TOGETHER Action Plan to tackle anti-social behaviour, local communities are making good use of new powers introduced by the Government, the Home Office claims. Action across the country has resulted in local authorities and police taking action against an estimated 100,000 cases of anti-social behaviour, with more than 2,600 anti social behaviour orders and 418 dispersal orders, the Government says.
What they say
Speaking at the TOGETHER: Tackling anti-social behaviour conference in London today, Mr Blunkett said: "A year ago I said to communities that I wanted them to use the powers we have given them to tackle anti-social behaviour. Since then, a tremendous amount has been done to reclaim our communities for the law-abiding majority. We have brought in tough new laws and, with local partners, driven forward an ambitious national action plan. The TOGETHER campaign has produced real results, with around 100,000 cases of thuggery and nuisance dealt with over the past year. And this is against a background of record numbers of police officers – nearly 140,000 – backed up by more than 4,000 community support officers and cuts in crime on both statistical measures (the British Crime Survey and recorded crime). In particular, I commend local authorities and the police for taking early action in linking new powers to curtail misuse of fireworks with dispersal powers, including curfews for under 16s, in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act. But there is no room for complacency. We know that too many communities are still blighted by anti social behaviour, with the yobbish behaviour of a few thugs ruining the quality of life of whole communities. In the summer I set out the Government’s plans to tackle crime over the next five years, and dealing decisively with anti-social behaviour is a key part of that. There will be no let-up in our campaign against crime, disorder and thuggery, and a drive to close down crack houses and cut gun crime will start in the new year. Supporting and protecting victims and witnesses is an essential part of our work to tackle crime, and this can be especially true of anti social behaviour, where the offenders often live next door. We need local people to take a stand, to say that ‘enough is enough’. Yesterday Parliament agreed my plans to extend the powers of the new Victims’ Commissioner to champion the victims of anti-social behaviour, and we announced earlier this week plans to give extra protection in court to witnesses of thuggery and disorder. Treating the causes, as well as the effects of anti-social behaviour, is vital, which is why I am announcing today plans to get drug mis-using people who behave anti-socially, into treatment, closing a gap for those who have not already entered the criminal justice system. Over the past year we have seen what can be achieved, and I want us to do even more. Working in partnership with local people and agencies up and down the country, we can do much more to tackle thuggery, to help create safe, secure communities where people can live and work free from harassment and fear."
