'Community triggers to end anti-social behaviour horror stories'

Published by Julien Tremblin for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Local Government

Home Secretary Theresa May has announced the launch of "community triggers" which will force police to act if five households in one area complain about one resident.

Speaking today about reforms in police pay, May has announced new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour "horror stories".

She said: “It's too easy to overlook the harm that persistent anti-social behaviour causes.

“Many police forces, councils and housing providers are working hard, but I still hear horror stories of victims reporting the same problem over and over again, and getting no response.

“These long-running problems - and the sense of helplessness that goes with them - can destroy a victim's quality of life and shatter a community's trust in the police.

“That's why we proposed a 'community trigger' as part of our reforms to anti-social behaviour laws. The trigger will give victims and communities the right to demand that agencies who had ignored a problem must take action.”

The Home Office explained the community triggers will be activated if five separate households complain about one problem resident.

New trials have also been tested by eight police force of a new approach for handling anti-social behaviour.

May said: “Most importantly, forces have been able to identify high-risk individuals – often people experiencing the most horrendous abuse - who might otherwise have slipped through the net.”

Shadow Home Office minister Gloria DePiero criticised the “belated and weak announcement”.

She told the BBC: "After two years of doing nothing to tackle anti-social behaviour, the home secretary has to do better than a few pilots that won't start until the summer, and which seem to suggest that anti-social behaviour should not be taken seriously if only two or three people complain."

The Home Office is now working with a number of local authorities to launch the pilots for the community triggers this summer.