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£200,000 plan to tackle anti-social behaviour
01 February 2008
Photo: LCC Youth Service website
A £200,000 scheme to work with youths and reduce anti-social behaviour has been unveiled.
Leicestershire County Council is proposing to expand a team which dissuades youths from becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and crime.
The proposal comes from Byron Rhodes, Cabinet member for Community Safety and chairman of Leicestershire's Police Authority.
Police report that 62 per cent of the calls they receive about anti-social behaviour involve 'rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour' and the majority of these incidents involve youths, many of whom had been drinking.
Last autumn, the County Council's youth service and youth offending service launched a team, which works with young people aged from 10-18 for six weeks at a time.
The team works with District Council staff and police to identify the young people's needs and issues, tackle and challenge their anti-social behaviour and show them where to find support and activities.
It has worked successfully in several areas, including Whetstone.
Elsewhere in the County, the scheme's success has been noted in Thurnby, Ashby Road in Loughborough and Melton's Fairmead Estate.
Unless the team is expanded, it can only work in three areas of the county per week.
Additional investment will enable the team to work in eight areas in the county for three nights per week.
Expanding the current team county-wide would enable it to:
- Identify areas where young people hang around on streets
- Work with them to prevent them from offending or becoming involved in anti-social behaviour
- Work with district councils to tackle graffiti and criminal damage
- Work with Trading Standards to reduce the availability of alcohol to young people
- Support parents in keeping their children out of trouble.
Byron Rhodes said:
"There is a lot of public concern about anti-social behaviour, which is often caused by bored youths.
"If we can reduce these problems by working with the young people and finding them more positive things to do, it will be money well spent."
The proposal will be considered as part of the County Council's budget process, which is due to be finalised on February 20.
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