Home secretary: there is 'nowhere to hide' for persistent offenders in the East Midlands » Local government » 24dash.com

Marking the start of Not In My Neighbourhood Week, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today warned persistent offenders in the East Midlands that there is nowhere to hide, as local agencies will be stepping up the pressure on local troublemakers.

As part of a programme of regional visits the Home Secretary saw how better co-operation between local authorities and other public agencies is helping to expose wider criminal activity.

Better information sharing between agencies can expose television licence evasion, benefit and council tax fraud, and vehicle insurance dodging, highlighting wider criminal behaviour.

The Home Secretary announced that a new anti-social behaviour squad would soon visit the East Midlands to work with local ASB experts to tackle offending and ensure police and local agencies make full use of the powers available to them.

Persistent offenders make up seven per cent of all trouble makers who cause the majority of crime and disorder. Local agencies now have additional tools and powers to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Latest figures available show that local agencies across the country used the tools and powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour more than 16,000 times between April and June 2008. In the East Midlands there were 1,599 tools and powers used.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "No-one should have to put up with anti-social behaviour. I want communities to know that the Government is firmly on their side and is turning the tables on those who persistently make others' lives a misery.

"Most adults know better than to play loud music, or to strew the streets with their rubbish. Those that can't behave properly should understand that they won't just be watched by the police - local councils, housing benefit officers, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the TV Licensing authority will all be watching and sharing information too.

"We have put in place powerful tools to tackle low level disorder and the new anti-social behaviour squad will work with agencies to help them make best use of those powers.

"The latest survey shows that local authorities, police and other partner crime fighting agencies in the East Midlands are using our anti-social behaviour tools to enhance community life. I want other areas to learn from this inspiring example."

In a further drive to tackle anti-social behaviour and ensure powers to address it are used as effectively and as consistently as possible, the Home Office today published guidance on gating orders. These can be used to fence off problem alleyways and stop areas suffering from the blight of graffiti, drug use and anti-social behaviour.

The guide sets out how local authorities, in working with communities, can take the necessary steps to make a gating order and install gates which stop anti-social behaviour from occurring in alleyways behind homes.

The British Crime Survey shows a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of people with a high level of perceived anti-social behaviour from 21 per cent in 2002/03 to 16 per cent in 2007/08.