This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Falkirk focus for anti-social behaviour
21/08/2003
Falkirk is today the focus for the latest of a series of
Ministerial visits to hear views on the forthcoming
Anti-ocial Behaviour Bill.
Deputy Communities Minister Mary Mulligan will visit the
Linkwork Training Trust where she will meet people who are
active in local communities to find out for herself how
they feel about anti-social behaviour in their
neighbourhood and how it should be tackled.
Following this, the Minister will visit a teen shelter
at Banknock where she will hear how this has been effective
in helping to tackle anti-social behaviour in West
Falkirk.
Ms Mulligan said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to building safer,
stronger communities and improving the quality of life for
all Scots. Anti-social behaviour - such as graffiti,
vandalism, fly-tipping, harassment and violence - can make
life a misery for people.
"We are determined that the small minority of people who
engage in these types of activities should be held
accountable for their actions so that the majority of
law-abiding people can feel safe and secure in their own
neighbourhoods.
"We are keen to hear from local people about their
experiences of anti-social behaviour and their views on how
best to tackle it. Our visit to Falkirk and Grangemouth is
part of a series of visits that aim to make sure that our
forthcoming Anti-Social Behaviour Bill is informed by the
real issues that people across the length and breadth of
Scotland face - day in and day out."
The First Minister announced the
legislative programme which included an Anti-Social
Behaviour Bill as the Executive's key priority for its
first year.
A public consultation exercise on the draft Anti-Social
Behaviour Bill was published at the end of June.
It included provisions to impose anti-social behaviour
orders on under-16 year olds and civil orders requiring
parents to act in the best interests of their children.
Other elements include banning the sale of spray paint to
under-16s and the introduction of electronic tagging as an
alternative to secure accommodation for under-16s.
The closing date for responses to the consultation is
Thursday September 11.
The Linkwork Training Trust is a community development
project which trains people who then go on to work with
police and local authorities. The project is run in
partnership with the local authority and has been endorsed
by Glasgow University. Teen shelters are structures with
roofs and seats for young people to meet in safety.
There are two teen shelters at Banknock, situated next
to an all weather playing surface. One has been in place
for almost a year and a second has recently been
erected.