This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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National conference of community wardens
03/12/2004
Community wardens have established themselves across
Scotland as key players in tackling antisocial behaviour,
the first national conference of wardens heard in Glasgow
today.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry promised that more
warden posts would be created to add to the 400 already in
place and another 150 which have been approved.
Mr Henry said:
"Community wardens have been a success story across
Scotland. They have already established themselves as
trusted resources for the community, dealing effectively
with antisocial behaviour.
"Every council in Scotland has now appointed community
wardens. Around 400 wardens are already in place and within
the next few months, a total of 550 wardens funded by the
Scottish Executive will be patrolling Scotland's
streets.
"All are helping to improve the quality of life and
local environments. All are helping to reassure communities
that local authorities and the Executive are on their
side.
"But as a relatively recent development, we realise that
there is scope for ensuring that all local schemes are
working as effectively as they can.
"There is scope for sharing experiences between schemes
so that the rest can learn from the best.
"We need more hard evidence that we're doing things
well, that local schemes are operating as effectively as
they can. For example, the evaluation undertaken in
Renfrewshire showed the positive impact of community
wardens.
- A 43 per cent reduction in vandalism costs compared
to the previous year
- A 44 per cent reduction in new complaints of
antisocial behaviour
"Results like those are testament to the effectiveness
of community wardens in rebuilding respect in our
communities, in preventing antisocial behaviour and giving
communities the confidence to take on the small minority
whose behaviour blights the lives of the hard-working
majority.
"Where local successes can provide national lessons then
we must share them. Working together we can help deliver a
safer, stronger Scotland."
Community wardens can undertake a variety of tasks.
Local authorities, together with the police, their
community planning partners and local communities decide on
local priorities and precise duties which may be quite
different in Glasgow, say, compared to the Western
Isles.
Warden schemes aim to:
- Reduce crime and the fear of crime, including youth
crime
- Reduce vandalism and antisocial behaviour
- Improve environmental quality
There will be other positive effects - reducing fear of
crime and improving the physical quality of the environment
can help promote social cohesion and build community
pride.
The Executive has committed almost £22 million to
support the deployment of community wardens across Scotland
as part of its strategy to tackle antisocial behaviour.