Agenda item

T Maccabe introduced himself to the Forum as the Council’s new Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Officer. T Maccabe explained that his update for this meeting will focus on ASB since 2017, and that the details provided were based upon reports of ASB received by both the Council and the Police. ASB incidents involving young people specifically would be focussed on as much as possible.

At present there are two main ASB concerns, both of which are in Wigston. The first concern is located mainly on Boulter Crescent, but involves young people from both the County and the City side of Leicestershire. Knives and drugs are the predominant issues in this concern, and Leicestershire Police have already made 3 arrests in relation to it. A Police operation is now in place around this concern.

The second main ASB concern in the Borough is young people, aged 11-12, climbing on to and running across the shop roofs on Bell Street. This is causing damage to businesses as well as resulting in shop staff being harassed by young people if they challenge the anti-social behaviour.

In relation to both of the above concerns 5 young people have been placed on Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC) since T Maccabe was employed by the Council. It was explained to the Forum that an ABC forms the final ‘pre-legal’ stage of the Incremental Approach, and seeks to manage the behaviour of young people through a voluntary agreement. Members asked T Maccabe what would happen if a young person refused to sign an ABC; it was confirmed that a young person refusing to sign an ABC, and continuing to engage in ASB, can be used as evidence in court at the legal stages of the Incremental Approach.

Members asked if there was any ABC outcome data that could be made available to them; T Maccabe stated that the figures do not exist, but he is aware of several young people in the Borough who received an ABC in October 2016 progressing on to actual crime, resulting in at least one eviction from a Council tenancy. Of the same cohort there has been 1 really positive outcome with the young person in question moving away from crime and ASB completely, and now being on their way to achieve a coaching qualification through the Leicester City FC ‘KICKS’ Project.

Of the current 5 young people subject to an ABC in the Borough, 3 have not been involved in reported ASB since signing.

Members enquired as to why, on the graph provided by T Maccabe, there had been a significant spike in ASB reports in Q4 of 2018-19. It was confirmed that the spike directly relates to the ongoing concerns in Wigston, but is a spike in the number of reports recorded only since T Maccabe’s employment; overall ASB in the Borough is declining. It was stated that this is not indicative of an increasing problem, just of better reporting behaviour.

A comparison to ASB in other districts in Leicestershire was requested by Members; unfortunately limitations of the Sentinel system mean that this isn’t possible, and only figures showing ASB reported to the Police can be sourced. This would not be representative of the number of ASB cases being recorded by the Police and relevant Council’s in the other districts.

Members raised concerns with ASB and substance misuse at Uplands Park in Oadby, and outside of Manor High School. These concerns have been ongoing since late 2018. T Maccabe confirmed that a Police operation had been put in place in Oadby covering both parks and car parks regarding substance misuse, and that the operation has now finished.

T Maccabe confirmed to the Forum that regardless of where the home address of an individual involved in ASB in the Borough may be, even outside of the Borough, the Council and local Police still have a duty to tackle it and living across a border will not prevent action being taken.