There is much research that
supports the argument that the results of many anti-social acts
such as youths hanging around the streets, drug dealing, noisy
neighbours, litter and graffiti have both a direct and indirect
affect on an area
– damaging the
image and reputation of the area, driving up fear of crime, and
increasing the likelihood of more serious crime such as car thefts,
burglary and robbery.
In the North West we have had many successes in reducing
anti-social behaviour, especially in some of the more deprived
areas. There have been a multitude of various approaches ranging
from the "tougher" end of dealing with anti-social behaviour using
legislative powers including Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs),
Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABCs) and issuing fines via Fixed
Penalty Notices (FPNs), to activity at the other end of the
spectrum such as projects involving people in clean up campaigns
and sports activities.
It has been proven in the North West that the most effective way to
reduce levels of Anti-Social Behaviour is by adopting multi-agency
approaches. This holistic model meets the needs of both the
individual and community and there have been many examples across
the North West of targeted approaches which have reduced
anti-social behaviour. These campaigns have achieved
fantastic improvement/reductions in the many types of anti-social
activities using a range of interventions - from
education/awareness raising through to tough legal action using
whatever powers were appropriate for dealing with individual
incidents. However, there are still real challenges in many
parts of the region and Government Office for the North West
continues to work with partners to ensure that Anti-Social
Behaviour remains a priority and that agencies are committed to
reduce incidents further.
