< Previous | Contents | Next >

Putting our communities first: A Strategy for tackling Anti-social Behaviour

executive summary

Anti-social behaviour takes many different forms. But its effects are the same. People's lives are made a misery. The fabric of our communities is degraded. Neighbourhoods are blighted. Crime increases. The consequences affect all of us.

The Scottish Executive is determined to tackle anti-social behaviour: to deal with its causes and its effects. More than that, we are determined to change the behaviour of the anti-social minority. By doing so, we can make a real difference to all of our communities. And we can make a direct and lasting contribution to delivering on our commitment to improve the quality of life for all of Scotland's people.

This consultation document outlines the Executive's strategy for tackling anti-social behaviour. We have already done a lot. For example, we have put in place a wide range of educational, health and community regeneration programmes, with substantial funding; we are introducing community warden schemes; we are implementing the Action Plan on Youth Crime; and we are supporting Community Safety Partnerships. But we want to do more. We want to build on our substantial investment in Scotland's communities and to ensure that it is not undermined by anti-social behaviour. This paper sets out a first stage in a wider programme for the second term of the Scottish Parliament.

Protecting and Empowering Our Communities

Communities are in the front line. They live with the symptoms and the consequences of anti-social behaviour everyday. Communities must be fully involved in the solutions.

• We want to strengthen the duty on local agencies to involve communities in preparing anti-social behaviour strategies and we will encourage local authorities to set up proactive anti-social behaviour units
• We will introduce focused and visible Community Reparation Orders so that those responsible for anti-social behaviour can make amends to the communities they have damaged
• We will improve protection for witnesses of anti-social behaviour.

Preventing Anti-Social Behaviour - Children and Families

Families are the bedrock of our communities. And the way that parents bring up their children is a crucial factor in the way they behave later on.

• We will encourage wider use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts for children and their parents
• We will extend Anti-Social Behaviour Orders to those aged 12 to 15
• We will strengthen the range of options available to Children's Hearings for dealing with cases of anti-social behaviour
• We will introduce flexible Parenting Orders that may require parents to undertake guidance or counselling as well as to take a more active role in supervising their children
• We will extend the availability of electronic monitoring for under-16s.

Safe, Secure and Attractive Communities

Rubbish, fly-tipping, graffiti, vandalism and noise nuisance are all forms of anti-social behaviour. They degrade our communities. We want to take tougher action to fight them.

• We will consider extending to community wardens the ability to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for litter
• We intend to introduce stronger penalties for fly-tipping and higher charges for abandoning vehicles
• We will ban the sale of spray paint to under-16s
• We intend to introduce stronger powers to combat noise nuisance
• We will encourage rewards for good tenants
• We will support UK Government legislation on control of fireworks
• We will consider strengthening local authorities' powers to deal with landlords who don't tackle anti-social behaviour by their tenants
• We will pilot "good neighbour" declarations that set out the responsibilities of landlords, other agencies and tenants.

Effective Enforcement

Prevention is better than cure. And we are introducing a range of measures to tackle anti-social behaviour at the earliest possible stage. But there has to be effective sanctions to deal with those who persistently fail to respond, and for the most serious cases.

• We will consider introducing Fixed Penalty Notices for some anti-social activities
• We will consider giving the police an explicit power to disperse groups where there is anti-social behaviour
• We want to make Anti-social Behaviour Orders more effective for all age groups, by allowing courts more flexibility to impose them, and introducing a power of arrest if they are breached
• We want to give the police a clear power to close premises where drug-dealing or other anti-social behaviour takes place
• We intend to give the police tougher powers to enter and close licensed premises.

Anti-social behaviour affects us all. It is up to us all to play a part in tackling it. We all have rights: but we all have responsibilities too. The Scottish Executive is determined to create a strong and flexible framework for effective action: by working together, we can make a real difference.

< Previous | Contents | Next >