Tackling youth crime in the South East has received a boost after being handed £1.4m to help clear-up antisocial behaviour, make schools and communities safer and provide support for young people and families who want to turn their lives around.
Within the South East four areas have each been handed £350,000 to help implement seven core crime fighting initiatives as part of the Government's £100m Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) announced in July last year.
These areas are:
- Brighton and Hove
- Portsmouth
- Southampton and
- Slough.
The money will be used to implement and fund the seven core activities this year that have been successfully trialled across the region over the last ten months:
- After School Patrols to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) at peak times (90 patrols carried out around 44 schools with 127 young people signposted to positive activity between November 08 and March 09)
- Operation Staysafe - using safeguarding powers to take children off the streets at night and return them to a safe place (57 operations carried out with 103 young people removed to a place of safety and 54 referred to other services between November 2008 and March 2009)
- Street Based Youth Teams - engaging young people hanging around (deployed 348 times and engaged with 2,209 young people between November 2008 and March 2009)
- Youth Offending Team workers in custody suites to identify and address young offenders' needs early on and help keep them on the right track (three young people engaged with between November 2008 and March 2009 in Portsmouth - to be implemented 2009-10 elsewhere)
- Pay back work in leisure time (including Friday and Saturday nights) - making young offenders feel the consequences of their behaviour. Also, greater community involvement in identifying pay back work and more feedback to communities on the work that has been completed (to be implemented 20009-10)
- Family Intervention Projects - intensive and persistent support for 'chaotic' families with children at risk of committing crime/ASB (180 FIPs will be in place by summer across the country. Projects have already worked with nearly 2,000 problem families nationwide)
- Think Family - providing a framework for adults and children's services to work together to improve identification and support to families at risk (Think Family is currently being introduced into every local authority area)
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:
"We know that the vast majority of young people make a positive contribution to society. However, there are a minority who persist in antisocial behaviour and some in more serious criminal activity - their behaviour will not be tolerated.
"This funding is crucial in our fight against youth crime, both in terms of preventing young people turning to crime and protecting young people becoming victims of crime. Early indications show we are having real success up and down the country with YCAP improving lives and communities.
"But we are not complacent. There is still much work to be done and I am committed to ensuring our young people and communities are on the right track and our streets remain safe for everyone."
Children and Young People's Minister Dawn Primarolo said:
"We are committed to doing everything we can to prevent young people from getting involved in risky behaviour, to improve their life chances and help them become valued members of their communities.
"Initiatives such as Family Intervention Projects are leading the way in tackling the root causes of antisocial behaviour and youth crime. They tackle problematic, antisocial families and nip problems in the bud before they have an effect on young people, helping them to receive the best start in life.
"The next instalment of funding will provide timely relief and resources to help areas to continue their efforts and hard work in getting rid of nuisance behaviour."
Justice Minister Maria Eagle said:
"There are fewer first time young offenders, re-offending rates are decreasing and the chances of being a victim of crime are the lowest since records began.
"These successes reflect our investment in the youth justice system and the significant reforms we have implemented over the past twelve years, but we are determined to do more.
"This Youth Crime Action Plan funding means we can maintain our fight against youth crime and make our communities safer."
Association of Chief Police Officers lead for Children and Young People and Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary, Ian McPherson, said:
"Youth crime is estimated to cost the country over one billion pounds a year. However, we must remember that the vast majority of young people will never commit a crime. Through the Youth Crime Action plan, the police service is working to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system and from becoming victims of crime.
"Continued engagement with young people through neighbourhood policing and safer schools partnerships will help to develop and maintain these positive relationships from early years into adulthood. This funding will ensure that this work continues."
YCAP was launched in July last year in 69 areas and is a cross Government initiative with a triple track approach of tough enforcement where behaviour is unacceptable or illegal; non-negotiable support to address the underlying causes of poor behaviour and early intervention to tackle problems before they become serious or entrenched.
