Respect Plan for Southampton
18th August 2006
Southampton Test MP, Alan Whitehead, wants residents to have a bigger say in how anti-social behaviour is tackled in their area.
Since April 2006 Dr Whitehead has been surveying (i) residents' personal experiences with anti-social behaviour, (ii) their opinions on the powers introduced by the government to combat anti-social behaviour and (iii) whether they think those powers have been used enough by Southampton City Council.
Following this, Dr Whitehead has written to the City Council urging them to work with him in addressing the responses from residents, especially regarding the areas where he received repeated reports of anti-social behaviour.
He has also written personally to City Council leader, Adrian Vinson, to argue that the Council should be more proactive in targeting areas where dispersal orders might be effective in reducing anti-social behaviour.
Survey respondents overwhelmingly supported the powers brought in by the government to tackle anti-social behaviour- specifically the powers to issue parenting orders to the parents of truant children, and the powers for councils to close down businesses that sell alcohol to youngsters or create excessive noise late at night.
In a separate section, the survey also asked respondents whether they thought more resources were needed to tackle anti-social behaviour and where the money should be spent. Respondents favoured more resources going to tackle different forms of anti-social behaviour with the need to create more activities for children and young people receiving the highest level of support. The government has in fact recently committed to ear-mark funding for more sports and arts programmes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Dr Whitehead said:
"The best way to promote respect is to listen to residents who are experiencing anti-social behaviour first-hand. I hope the Council agrees to work with me on this and talk to residents in the areas I've highlighted."
More information
- Dr Whitehead's initial survey on Respect in the Community was sent to residents in Southampton Test in April 2006. He received over 500 replies from across the constituency.
- City Councils have had the power to issue dispersal orders since the Government passed the Anti-Social Behaviour Act in 2003. When an order is issued, police and police community support officers have the power to disperse groups where the relevant officer has 'reasonable grounds for believing that their presence or behaviour has resulted, or is likely to result, in a member of the public being harassed intimidated, alarmed or distressed' (http://www.cieh.org/asb/the_law5.html)
- More information on the Respect Agenda can be found at http://www.respect.gov.uk/