Blunkett gets tough on yob culture
The government is intent on cracking down on yobs and anti-social behaviour and home secretary David Blunkett is calling on communities to “take a stand”.
He urged people to demand action from local authorities and added: “Only when they demand more will agencies know the true extent of the problems facing those individuals and communities and take action.”
He said the courts and council workers must get tougher and claimed “There is no longer any excuse for public services not to listen to victims.”
Mr Blunkett has chosen ten “trailblazer” areas to focus on the problem, with £22 million going to local crime reduction partnerships over the next two and a half years.
A series of “expert” panels will be set up, linking professionals in areas such as crime reduction, health and social services, to help address the issues.
Those who deal with yobbish behaviour most effectively will be used to train police and councils around the country.
The new proposals will be announced at a symposium in central London on Tuesday, when Mr Blunkett will name the areas and explain how the initiatives were designed to “tackle the minority who are making life hell for the majority”.
The home secretary’s plans will also tackle beggars and the problem of abandoned cars, with ten areas selected for “intensive clean ups”.
Help will be provided to get abandoned cars taken off the streets before they are torched.
He will warn that neighbours who blight the lives of law-abiding people in their communities could face tough new sanctions, with the worst offenders looking at relocation, while others could see their tenancy contracts reduced from 12 to six months, be sent to parenting classes or issued with fixed penalty notices.
The measures are expected to build on the government’s flagship Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, which should become law by the New Year.
