Edges Magazine Issue 26: Preventing Anti-Social Behaviour

EDGES MAGAZINE Issue 26

July/Aug 2001

PREVENTING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Linda Boys and Frank Warburton from NARCO speak about changing lives and reducing crime. We thank Nacro for allowing us to publish this briefing.

Introduction

It is not just the more serious crimes that concern the public. Millions of people also find their quality of life suffering from vandalism, noisy or intimidating neighbours and out of control youngsters. The criminal justice system often fails to deal with these types of problem... We have introduced new remedies for the police and local authorities to tackle serious anti-social behaviour. Coupled with sensible and sensitive targeted policing and much broader government programmes to build safe and secure communities we will achieve sustained, not transient improvements.

What is anti-social behaviour?

In the Crime and Disorder Act, anti-social behaviour is described in terms of the Anti-Social Behaviour Order. The Act states that in applying for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order following two conditions must be met:

1. That the person has acted in an anti-social manner, that is to say, in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself.

2. That such an order is necessary to protect persons in the local government area in which the harassment, alarm or distress was caused or was likely to be caused from further anti-social acts by him.

Dealing with anti-social behaviour remains an important part of the government's strategies for crime reduction and neighbourhood renewal. The quote above is taken from the Crime Reduction Strategy, which was published by the Home Office in November last year to give new impetus to its programme of measures to reduce crime and disorder. Whilst many district partnerships - created following the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 - are already committed to tackling anti-social behaviour within their overall strategies, they have encountered a number of difficulties in developing a package measures which clearly and comprehensively addresses the issue using a problem-oriented or evidence-led approach. The main difficulties have been:

1. Imprecise definitions of what counts as anti-social behaviour.

2. Lack of hard evidence about the extent and distribution of the problem

3. Lack of information about the 'risk factors' associated with anti-social behaviour

4. Uncertainty about what to include in the package of measures

5. Disagreements about how measures to deal with anti-social behaviour 'fit' with measures to deal with crime.

How widespread is anti-social behaviour?

The government's Crime and reduction strategy sets out some key facts about disorder and anti-social behaviour:

1. Calls to the police relating to disorder increased in England and Wales by 19 per cent in the two years to April 1998. At the same time the total number of incidents reported to the police fell by six per cent.

2. In areas high physical disorder people are more likely to be victims of crime. For example, vehicle-related theft is up to seven per cent more likely.

3. Complaints about neighbours have increased by 56 per cent in four years. A survey of social housing providers found that, on average, each had 800 cases of nuisance to deal with in 1996/7.

The recent report on anti-social behaviour published by the Social Exclusion Unit contains many recommendations for strengthening local responses to the issue. A number of its proposals are referred to and built upon in this briefing. It's emphasises ways in which the 'hard core of repeat perpetrators' can be dealt with quickly and effectively and examines ways in which those who lose their home as a result of anti-social behaviour can be resettled. This briefing does not reproduce this advice or rehearse guidance already to accompany legal powers such as the Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. Our focus is more on how a range of preventive measures can be deployed before legal action becomes the only option. In developing this theme, the briefing makes explicit the practical steps partnerships might reasonably take, spelling out what can be done in operational terms.

Published with Permission of NACRO