05 April 2012

Leaders warning over council’s anti-social behaviour role

Councils must not be sidelined in tackling anti-social behaviour, the Local Government Association is warning ahead of the Government granting the police extra power to tackle the problem.

The LGA is concerned that local communities will often report problems around anti-social behaviour to their council rather than the police in the first instance. It says the new measures could ‘marginalise’ the role councils play in tackling the root cause of the problem.

Mehboob Khan, chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: ‘Local authorities know the most effective method to prevent anti-social behaviour is to prevent it happening in the first place. This means working in partnership with health agencies, the fire service, schools, probation officers and the police to steer people away from a lifestyle where they would be likely to become a nuisance to others.

‘To win the war against anti-social behaviour and help people feel safe in their neighbourhoods we need to see more of this joint working between councils and police, not less. When elected police commissioners take office later this year we will be urging them to work alongside councils and not cast aside the expertise within local government.’