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Crime worse since crackdown on yobs, say fed-up residents
RESIDENTS of areas plagued by crime believe the problem has continued or got worse, despite a £100m Government crackdown.
The Youth Crime Action Plan funded extra police patrols in 69 "priority areas" including Barnsley, Bradford, Doncaster, Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Rotherham, Sheffield and Wakefield.
It also paid for activities for young people on Friday and Saturday nights to help turn them away from anti-social behaviour.
But a survey published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families has revealed that more people in the target areas think problems caused by yobs have got worse than believe things have improved.
It found 27 per cent of people said they thought crime and anti-social behaviour by young people went up in the past year, while 19 per cent said it fell.
Children's Secretary and Normanton MP Ed Balls insisted the Government had made "good progress" tackling anti-social behaviour and youth crime.
He said: "We are clear that there are firm boundaries and clear consequences for those who overstep them – but support for young people and their families who try to turn their lives around."
But Shadow Home Office Minister James Brokenshire accused the Government of trying to "cover up" the bad news by presenting it in a positive light.
"When Ministers don't face up to the challenge of combating anti-social behaviour, and instead try to spin bad news, then you know that the Government has completely lost its way.
"Communities up and down the country are suffering, yet the Government has wrapped police up in so much red tape that they spend more time filling in forms than policing our streets."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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