Antisocial behaviour: new policies unveiled

Parents whose children display antisocial behaviour may be
required to attend a residential parenting scheme set up by the
Home Office, under a new round of initiatives.

The Together Action Plan, published by the Home Office, includes
a phone line and website to advise practitioners on tackling
antisocial behaviour locally.

There will also be more training events and conferences on the
subject, and an extra £11m for crime and disorder reduction
partnerships to use for countering antisocial behaviour across
England and Wales.

The Crown Prosecution Service is to appoint a new team of
specialists to handle antisocial behaviour offences, and new
guidelines will be issued to magistrates.

Local “nuisance neighbour panels” will be set up in some areas
to tackle nuisance households. In Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield
and Sunderland, there will be specially energetic efforts to deal
with nuisance neighbours. It is expected that at least 150
households will be targeted in both Birmingham and Manchester, 100
in Sheffield and 50 in Sunderland.

A residential parenting scheme is to be piloted in the
designated action areas in partnership with juvenile offenders unit
in the Home Office.

The plan also proposes to tackle graffiti by setting up a
national database of taggers.

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimpol/antisocialbehaviour/index.html