Dealing with anti-social behaviour
26th October 2006
Anti-social behaviour can blight lives. Vandalism and intimidation can strike any community, but it is often the most vulnerable people who are its victims.
For that reason, I’ve been writing to my constituents over the last few months asking for their views on how anti-social behaviour should be dealt with. I’ve now received over 500 replies which paint a very interesting picture of the problem of anti-social behaviour in our city.
There was a lot of support for new powers to shut down businesses that play music in a residential area late at night or that sell alcohol to youngsters. Some people were concerned about the consequences of evicting ‘nuisance neighbours’ from their homes, but there was still overall support for the policy. My own view is that eviction has to be an option when all else fails, but it should only be used as a last resort.
I also asked constituents’ opinions on parenting orders- given to parents when their children persistently play truant. Parents under the orders are can be fined if they don’t make sure their children attend school. Again, most people who wrote to me supported the orders, as long as parents were also offered help to improve their parenting skills.
A big part of tackling anti-social behaviour is giving councils and the police the necessary legal powers to take action where such behaviour is causing real problems. There have been several Acts of Parliament that have done this- ASBOs themselves, dispersal orders and some new police powers, for example.
But we also need to make sure that a) the police are properly funded and b) there are rewarding, meaningful activities available for young people that give them a stake in their community. There was support for more investment in both these areas.
Finally, we need to look for anti-social behaviour ‘hotspots.’ I’ve put together a postcode map of all the anti-social behaviour reports I received as part of this exercise. Looking at that map it is clear there are a few areas that currently have particular problems with anti-social behaviour.
Sometimes the best way to stop anti-social behaviour in an area is to look to see if there is a fixture of that area that allows the behaviour to take place. The M271 footbridge, which I’ve long called for the closure of, was one such fixture. I’m glad the Council has finally accepted that the bridge must be closed.
But failing that, the council should consider issuing a dispersal order in an area, to give police the power to break up large groups. Dispersal orders have been used effectively in some parts of Aldermoor and Portswood- without displacing anti-social behaviour onto neighbouring areas.
I think the City Council needs to be more proactive in looking for areas where dispersal orders could be implemented. It’s legitimate to be concerned about the civil liberties of young people who may feel threatened by the orders. But young people are the victims of anti-social behaviour too. Properly used, dispersal orders can help to transform the quality of life for a local community. But only if a council has the will to use them.
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- Originally published as an In My View column for Southern Daily Echo on the 26th October 2006