Police, councils and housing associations are to take advantage of new powers aimed at helping them to fight anti-social behaviour.
The powers came into effect on Monday, October 20, following the government’s new Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Police Act 2014.
Community Protection Notices will allow police and local authorities to tackle environmentally anti-social behaviour and issue fixed penalty tickets to those who breach them.
Local authorities will be able to impose new Public Space Protection Orders to prohibit drinking and nuisance gatherings, police and PCSOs will then be able to issue tickets to anyone who breaches them.
Any victim who is unhappy with the response to an on-going problem can apply to pull a Community Trigger, this requires partners to meet, review their response and consider what more can be done. The Community Remedy document gives victims the chance to work with police and PCSOs.
They will also have a say on what low-level offenders should do instead of being taken to court. They will be able to choose from a list of pre-defined actions.
A number of meetings between police, Luton Borough council, Central Bedfordshire council, Bedford Borough council, Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Bedford Pilgrims Housing Association, Aragon Housing Association, Jephson Housing Association and Aldwyck Housing, took place.
The partners agreed the key benefit of the legislation is that it helps ‘put victims first’ by making partnership working more effective and enforcement measures easier to implement.
A statement released by police and partners said: “We have given this legislation a great deal of consideration and concluded it will enable us as partners to build on much of the good work we are already doing to combat anti-social behaviour.
“That is great news for residents, great news for us and bad news for the small minority of individuals and groups who blight our communities with their selfish ways.”