This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour
26/06/2003
A strategy to crack down on all forms of anti-social
behaviour was published today.
Ministers will consult widely on plans to deal firmly
with the causes and effects of anti-social behaviour ahead
of introducing detailed legislation in the autumn, as
promised in the Executive's
Partnership Agreement.
Launching the consultation document today, First
Minister Jack McConnell said:
"We are determined to crack down hard on anti-social
behaviour, which takes many forms but has the same
corrosive effects. People's lives are made a misery, the
fabric of our communities is degraded, neighbourhoods are
blighted and crime increases. It cannot be tolerated any
longer.
"Our proposals put Ministers firmly on the side of
communities and on the side of every ordinary, decent,
law-abiding person in Scotland, young and old.
"Anti-social behaviour by individuals, families or by
business and other bodies will not be ignored or tolerated
any longer. Our strategy is designed to tackle such
behaviour wherever and whenever it happens. It is also
about changing people's behaviour, not just dealing with
the consequences of their actions.
"Our policy package is based on a graduated approach,
emphasising prevention first, voluntary measures next, but
tough and effective sanctions for those who persistently
fail to respond. This will make a real contribution to our
commitment to improve people's quality of life."
Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace said:
"Over the past four years, the Executive has put massive
investment into regenerating and strengthening Scotland's
communities. We are not prepared to see this undermined by
unacceptable behaviour of an irresponsible minority.
"People deserve the right to live in peace and safety.
They deserve the right to walk down the street without the
fear and worry of what might happen to them. And they
deserve the right to live in communities that are safe and
well looked after. That is what our proposals are
about."
Communities Minister Margaret Curran added:
"Anti-Social Behaviour is a real and pressing problem
across Scotland. While overall crime is falling, offences
associated with anti-social behaviour have been increasing
over the past decade.
"Breach of the peace offences were up 34 per cent
between 1991 and 2002, petty assaults rose by 33 per cent,
and reported fire-raising and vandalism rose by 6 per
cent.
"Crime statistics tell only part of the story. I know
that of the many people who are affected by anti-social
behaviour, not everyone will report it to the police
because they think that nothing can be done. This has to
change and that is why we have made tackling anti-social
behaviour a key priority of this Parliament.
"Our strategy recognises that anti-social behaviour is
caused by all age groups, not only the young and not only
in deprived communities.
"It is founded on the basic principle that every one of
us has rights, but we also have responsibilities. That
principle is, after all, the core requirement for a healthy
civic society. A society where we respect each other and
our property and where we respect the communities we live
in.
"Most people in Scotland live their lives and bring up
their children, by that principle. But there are a few
among us who do not fulfil their side of the bargain. That
small minority undermine the lives of the many.
"Working together we can turn the tide on anti-social
behaviour. We will do that by putting our communities, and
all the decent people in them, first."
The consultation document
Putting our Communities First outlines the key themes
of the Executive's strategy for tackling anti-social
behaviour:
- Protecting and empowering communities
- Preventing anti-social behaviour: parents and
children
- Safe, secure and attractive communities
- Effective enforcement
It consults on a broad package of measures under each of
these headings.
These include:
- Extending Anti-Social Behaviour Orders to 12- to
15-year-olds
- Introducing focused, visible Community Reparation
Orders
- Introducing Parenting Orders requiring parents to
act in the best interests of their children
- Extending the availability of electronic tagging of
children
- Banning the sale of spray paint to under-16s
- Strengthening the duty on local agencies to involve
communities in drawing up anti-social behaviour
strategies
- Encouraging local authorities to set up proactive
anti-social behaviour units
- Encouraging wider use of Acceptable Behaviour
Contracts for children and parents
- Strengthening the range of options available to
children's hearings for dealing with anti-social
behaviour
- Strengthened penalties for litter, fly-tipping,
graffiti and abandoned cars
- Giving Community Wardens powers to issue fixed
penalty notices for litter
- Strengthened local authorities' powers to tackle
noisy neighbours
- Strengthening local authorities' powers to deal
with landlords who don't tackle anti-social behaviour
by their tenants
- Piloting "good neighbour" declarations setting out
the respective responsibilities of landlords, tenants
and agencies
- Giving the police powers to close premises where
drug-dealing or other anti-social behaviour takes place
and to disperse groups where there is anti-social
behaviour
- Introducing fixed penalty notices for some
anti-social behaviour
The consultation period closes on September 11 and
Minister's intend to introduce an Anti-Social Behaviour
Bill in the autumn.