14/10/2003

Home Office measures set to target 'families from hell'

Neighbourhood yobs, so-called 'families from hell', are in the firing line of the government's latest initiative to cut out anti-social behaviour, the Home Office has revealed.

The government has published an action plan that includes "trailblazer action areas", specialist prosecutors and a £75 million cash boost, over three years, for local authorities and communities.

The action plan is the second phase of the government's work to tackle anti-social behaviour. It builds on the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, currently before Parliament, and the work of the anti-social behaviour unit which has spent the last nine months touring the country and hearing first hand, from the sharp end, the solutions that work and which need to be rapidly spread to other badly affected areas.

Speaking at a national anti-social behaviour conference in London today, the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, the focus was on areas where neighbour nuisance affects the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Intimidating and thuggish behaviour, as well as environmental crime such as abandoned cars and graffiti, would also be addressed.

Mr Blunkett said: "It is totally unacceptable that people are having to tolerate this type and level of anti-social behaviour in their communities day in and day out. It causes untold misery, corrodes communal life, undermines public services and forces people to live in fear in their own homes, afraid to go out and enjoy the public space in their community.

"I can't change all this from the Home Office. We have a valuable part to play but need to ensure that powers we introduce and the information we build up at the centre are used effectively.

"Crime overall has fallen in the last year and we have more police officers on our streets than ever before. But for people to feel that difference we need a fundamental culture change in our society. We must take pride in our communities and challenge those who try to damage them."

The new action plan includes £22 million funding to strengthen crime reduction partnerships and create local trailblazers for action to target anti-social behaviour. A new phoneline and website to help local agencies and practitioners deal effectively with anti-social behaviour, giving advice and information, will also be launched in early 2004.

A snap-shot survey carried out by the Home Office showed that in one day last month local agencies dealt with more than 60,000 reports of anti social behaviour and vandalism - more than one report every two seconds.

(gmcg)

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