Home Affairs Select Committee Member and Houghton and Sunderland South MP, Bridget Phillipson has called on the government to introduce a national standard for action on anti-social behaviour after the Committee recommends measures to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Today (Friday 15th February 2013) the Home Affairs Committee has published its report on The draft Anti-social Behaviour Bill. The Committee finds that:

• The rationalisation of the number of anti-social behaviour powers is welcome; But key elements necessary to tackle ASB are missing: good inter-agency working, intelligent information sharing and a network of services;
• Officers must have the discretion to choose alternative disposals as part of the “Community Remedy”, and;
• The “Community Trigger” will not be effective against persistent ASB unless there is a national limit on the number of complaints that can be made before action is taken. There must be a guaranteed response to ASB and it must not depend on where you live.

The Committee calls on Government to:

• Strengthen the Community Trigger so that authorities that do not deal with ASB are identified and held to account and decisive action is taken to deal with the problem, and;
• Set up a new National Anti-social Behaviour Forum-headed by a chief constable, a housing association chief executive, and a local council leader, for a term of two years-to identify “what works” in ASB reduction.

Committee Member, Bridget Phillipson MP said:

“Too many victims of anti-social behaviour are suffering in silence. I know from constituents the impact it has and how it can devastate lives.

“I support any measure which would allow the police to take action in communities at the earliest possible opportunity before anti-social behaviour becomes a persistent problem.

“The proposed Community Trigger is meant to be the last line of defence to protect communities. The police must act on the first report of anti-social behaviour they receive.

“The Committee recommends that agencies must work together more effectively, support victims and speed up the court process. These measures would help to tackle persistent and harmful behaviour that blights communities.”

Further information
To read the Committees report in full, click here

Bridget spoke about the Committees work on anti-social behaviour on ITV’s Around the House, click here to watch.