Agenda item

To receive details of the Authority’s ongoing work in relation to tackling anti-social behaviour in the borough and any future plans.

 

The Secure Sub-committee considered a briefing paper by the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Safety and Wellbeing, and associated presentation regarding the ongoing work in relation to tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in the borough and any future plans.

 

In introducing the report, the Director of Housing and Property Services noted that a representative from Neighbourhood Policing was due to attend but unfortunately was called away at the last minute.

 

It was reported that Local Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) were introduced by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and brought together local partners to formulate and deliver strategies within their communities to tackle crime and disorder. The Safer North Tyneside Board was responsible for ensuring there were local strategies in place to: Reduce crime and disorder (including anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment), Combat the misuse of drugs, alcohol, and other substances, Reduce re-offending; and Prevent people from becoming involved in serious violence and reducing instances of serious violence.

 

The Safer North Tyneside Partnership was a statutory body and made up of statutory partners including North Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police, and North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and monitored actions delivered through its various subgroups including the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy Group (ASB). The ASB Strategy Group was made up of representatives from North Tyneside Council and partner agencies including Tyne and Wear Fire Service, Northumbria Police, Nexus. The Group’s aim was to take a public health approach to tackling ASB across the Borough through partnership working and had developed an action plan which incorporated the priorities of the Safer North Tyneside Partnership Plan. These were to Review data sets to improve analytical capability and share information across partners; Work in partnership with Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue and Nexus to reduce ASB in identified hotspot areas of the borough; and continued to support victims of anti-social behaviour with multi-agency ASB Case Reviews.

 

The Authority’s Community Protection Team worked very closely with Northumbria Police to patrol the open public spaces and our resident estates in the borough, sharing resources and planning individual operations depending upon need and intelligence.  An annual Community Safety Strategic Needs Assessment was produced to inform the partnership’s work, strategies and policies which was provided at Appendix 1.  Through this partnership the authority’s Community Protection Team and Northumbria Police worked on various projects, including:

 

·       Project Shield

·       Coast Watch

·       MAST (Multi Agency Safer Transport project) & WiSPP (Woman in Safer Public Places)

·       Operation Respect

·       Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week (18 – 22 November)

·       Tenure neutral approach

·       Headlines from Partners – Success

·       Police intelligence

 

Details of future work included preparedness for Christmas festivities and data on overall crime was summarised in the report.

 

It was reported that North Tyneside Council Environmental Crime and ASB Policy review was underway and was hoped for sharing early 2025.  Additionally, the Community Protection team were looking at refreshing the offer they currently had to residents who were victims of, or witness to anti-social behaviour. The current model had been successful for many years now but as this was a volunteer led service, the authority had found over the last 12 months the retention and recruitment of new volunteers had been limited.

 

Overall, over the last 5 years anti-social behaviors reported to Northumbria Police had decreased by 19%.  There were 5,533 ASB Incidents reported to Northumbria Police during 2023/24, at a rate of 26.13 per 1,000 population, significantly lower than the Northumbria Police Force rate of 18.95 per 1,000 population. As of quarter two, there were 3,191 anti-social behaviour incidents, at a rate of 15.2 per 1,000 population. This was a marginal increase of 1.8% compared to the same period during the previous year and 3.7% compared to the year before.  The most reported ASB incident type at the end of quarter two was “Other ASB” (40%).  18% of ASB incidents were neighbourly disputes which had decreased by 12% compared to the same period last year.  Motorcycle disorder accounted for 13%, while inappropriate use of public space accounted for 14.6% of ASB in quarter two. By ward, Wallsend Central (31.68/1,000 pop) and North Shields (30.53/1,000 pop) wards experienced significantly higher rates of ASB per 1,000 population than the borough rate (15.2).

 

Regarding perception of Community Safety, results from the latest residents’ survey 2024 would not be available until mid-2025.  The 2022 Residents Survey results showed that a proportion of residents stating they felt safe after dark had stablished and remained in line with the survey conducted in 2021. Perception of community safety was one of the main key drivers of resident satisfaction in the local area as a place to live. Residentsconsidered low levels of crime and ASB to be two of the most important issues and most in need of improvement. Women were more likely to state that anti-social behaviour needed improving than men. Unemployed residents were also more likely to state that anti-social behaviour needed improving.  Residents in the Southern area of the borough were more likely to state their priorities were tackling anti-social behaviour and crime.

The presentation on Anti-Social Behaviour was delivered in three key sections: 

 

Section 1 - Prevent

Section 2 – Our approach to Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime

Section 3 – Victim Support

 

What communities tell the Authority: 

 

·       A strategic assessment needs assessment was completed on an annual basis and this helped partners to identify the priority areas. 

·       Low levels of crime continued to be rated as the most important aspect of making somewhere a good place to live.

·       Safer Communities Survey and Residential Survey.

·       Resident’s perception of safety after dark had significantly decreased since 2016, despite the borough having low levels of crime and ASB compared to national, regional and peer comparators.

·       89% of residents felt safe in the local area during the day and 45% at night.  North Tyneside was one of the safest places in the country and feeling safe was one the key factors that made North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit.  However, residents were telling the authority they were feeling less safe and crime, including anti-social behaviour, was one of the most important issues and in most need of improvement.

 

The presentation included the work of the Community Protection Team,

including its project and community work, future work and next steps. This

included support for victims to:

 

·       Deliver a victim centred approach to case management which focused on the harm and impact on incident of crime or anti-social behviour had on victim(s).

·       Provide high quality victim care and support, making sure that victims had confidence in the Authority’s services and were kept informed about the progress and outcome of their case.

·       Provide additional support to victims who were vulnerable or repeat victims of anti-social behaviour or hate crime.

·       Strive for higher levels of customer satisfaction and listen to feedback about the Authority and its services.

 

The Sub-committee was asked to consider the report and associated

presentation, and if necessary, make recommendations and observations

to relevant Cabinet Members.

During the presentation members of the sub-committee sought clarification from

officers on a few issues which were responded to appropriately, including:

 

·       The Authority’s approach to delivering a tailored ASB service: - this included looking at data & trends and using evidence/literature and a larger partnership approach in assessing the impact of anti-social behaviour on all household members including children.

 

·        Reporting of crime and looking at Police data was useful: - details were included in health data and trends/patterns over time with key colleagues to provide context to the data and how it was analysed, as data in isolation did not provide all the necessary information. North Tyneside Council was, however, unique in terms of public health for youths and linked to ‘Youth Actions’ and a public health approach.

 

·        The collection of data was not always certain as it changed from time to time: - partners were keen to show local intelligence along with stats which could help to address concerns at Ward level.

 

·        The way in which crime protection was managed at Ward level; - people in North Tyneside feedback on how they felt about crime and safety issues which was recorded as part of data collection through the residents’ survey.

 

·        The correlation of attendance data by e.g. Fire Service and the way in which it merged with the Authority’s wider services: - data was translated in the data linked to public health in tackling issues on the ground.

 

·        A housing service level approach and the information available to Ward councillors: - this was provided within the powers used in tenancy agreements and the ‘Neat Streets’ initiative introduced in last year’s budget proposals for cleaning up properties which would continue improving the Borough’s estates and tackle environmental crime such as fly tipping.

 

·        ASB reported to the Community and Public Spaces Protection team in relation to noise: - complaints were dealt with under statutory nuisance in terms of environmental health which was about limiting the problem and course of direction of travel.

 

·        Noise and statutory requirements: - the Community Protection and Public Protection teams reviewed the situation in each case, and under the authority’s Housing Strategy selective licensing could be looked at as well as working with private landlords on what they could apply.

 

·        The plans for dealing with neighbourhood issues involving both social housing tenants and private sector: - the Community Protection team worked together with its partners to include joint meetings with housing associations and landlords.

 

·        Tenancy victims support: - risk assessments and analysis were carried out in partnership with the victim and the type of tenancy.  

 

·        The policies and priorities in place to assure residents that changes to services were being made: - the Community Protection Team had recently been relocated under the Housing directorate which would provide more control in terms of service delivery: - a tenants perception survey could be undertaken as an annual measure supported by the recently introduced ‘Neat Streets’ initiative, the ‘Equally Well Strategy’, and by involving Ward councillors, key partners and community groups.

 

·       Anti-social behaviour incidents: - the current Police report was up to date and a further breakdown of data/trends could be provided.

 

·        A breakdown of stats on what the authority and private owner/occupier’s managed: - this was important to understand in relation to the three themes of the presentation.

 

The Chair thanked officers for the comprehensive briefing paper and presentation.

 

The Chair also thanked members of the sub-committee for their valuable contributions to today’s discussions.  He suggested that following the relocation of the community protection team into the Housing directorate, a next step could be to establish a study group to undertake an examination of the communications and reporting of anti-social behaviour, to include data, social/private occupants & victim support and residents’ views.

 

The Cabinet Member for Housing commented he understood that people might feel frustrated if their perception was that nothing was being done to improve the delivery of services; and that it was important for the Authority to continue to review and develop the policies and plans already in place, and to provide information and feedback through its various communications and reporting mechanisms.

 

The Chair invited members of the sub-committee who wished to volunteer to take part in the study group, to let him know.

 

It was agreed that (1) the contents of the briefing paper and presentation on Anti-Social Behaviour be noted and as indicated above, members of the sub-committee invited to participate in the proposed study group; and

(2) the Sub-committee, if necessary, to make recommendations and observations to relevant Cabinet Members.