More money to tackle anti-social yobs

Doncaster is to receive £54,000 from the Government as part of an effort to tackle anti-social behaviour. The money will give more power to community and tenants groups to take action against yobs.

Rosie has been holding her own local policing events across Doncaster, at which she encourages local residents to discuss crime and anti-social behaviour with their local police team to let them know what more can be done to help people in the area.

Rosie said:
“Whether its nightmare neighbours, street-drinking or mindless vandals, anti-social behaviour can make peoples’ lives a misery. Local groups, like tenants and residents associations, are best placed to tackle this sort of behaviour. This extra money will ensure they are better equipped to deal with any problems.”

Communities Secretary John Denham MP made the announcement today and added:
"It might be a minority causing harm and misery for the majority but we are clear - this won't be tolerated. We're backing our communities and our neighbourhoods. To help this we're giving the opportunity to community champions for support and training so they can ensure councils and police deliver, using all the powers they have and doing all they can."

The announcement includes a measure to ensure landlords work to prevent and tackle anti social behaviour. New enforcement powers will be used to ensure that tenants get a good service. These can include issuing enforcement notices or even transferring the management of properties. In addition, housing associations can face fines or be forced to pay compensation to their tenants.

Councils and the police have more powers and tools to deal with antisocial behaviour than ever before:

Anti-social behaviour injunctions
An injunction can be applied for by social landlords against tenants, owner-occupiers and non-tenants. Injunctions are used when someone is committing anti-social behaviour, including noise nuisance, verbal abuse, visitors causing nuisance to neighbours, untidy gardens and threats of violence or actual violence.

Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)
Anti-social behaviour orders protect the public from behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. ASBOs are not criminal penalties, but breach of an ASBO is a criminal offence. They can be made on anyone aged 10 or over who has displayed anti-social behaviour in the previous six months.

Family intervention projects
When an agency has received numerous complaints about the behaviour of a family and the impact they’re having on their local community, they can use a family intervention project to work with that family to change their behaviour. The family is offered help to address the causes of their behaviour, along with supervision and enforcement to ensure they change it.

Community agreements
Community agreements are written settlements reached between the residents of a community to resolve disputes. The agreement is based on the wishes of the majority, and facilitated by independent mediators who make private and confidential visits to each person involved. They are used when there is conflict or unrest within a neighbourhood.
More information on all the powers and tools available can be found at: www.respect.gov.uk