Assembling Your Anti-social Behaviour Team

Many Crime & Disorder Partnerships will want to tackle local, previously intractable anti-social behaviour problems, where joint working makes a real difference. Your focus will be on achieving sustainable reductions in anti-social behaviour and development at the neighbourhood or community level.

In order to comply with 4 (a) of the PAT 8 Report, Crime & Disorder Partnerships must identify a named person in your Local Authority District to co-ordinate action on anti- social behaviour.

Given the need for close and effective inter-agency working, the partnership should appoint an official from the local authority or a police officer as the designated Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator within the partnership area. The co-ordinator should have clear lines of communication with both the LA Chief Executive and the area Police Commander. Where the Co-ordinator is a Council official s/he should not owe first allegiance to a particular LA department.

Section 5 of the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 provides that the local authority should act in co-operation with the police force, the probation service and the health authority in producing a local crime & disorder strategy. Such partnerships offer the best foundation and framework for tackling anti-social behaviour. However, as well as these statutory partners, other relevant agencies should be included:

• Registered social landlords

• Organisations representing local residents and business

• Youth Offending Team

• Drug Action Team

Crime & Disorder Partnerships should also consider offering the local Crown Prosecution Service and magistrates’ courts service a hand in the process of developing an anti-social behaviour strategy.