Three-year city blueprint aims to tackle anti-social behaviour

The three-year blueprint to combat a host of offences is being drawn up after York Council revealed it was having to deal with more than 20,000 reports of anti-social behaviour every year.

The most common complaints have centred around rubbish and litter being illegally dumped across the city, along with problems of graffiti and nuisance neighbours.

A council spokeswoman admitted that while York was often perceived as a prosperous city, it contained "pockets of deprivation" which had compounded the problems of anti-social behaviour.

The spokeswoman added: "Anti-social behaviour is not limited to poorer neighbourhoods, but the social and economic pressures of a community are generally regarded as being directly related to the levels of anti-social behaviour.

"Whilst the citizens of York's perception of anti-social behaviour is lower than neighbours in Scarborough and Leeds, the data shows a wide range of types of anti-social behaviour occurring in York and that residents feel tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority within their neighbourhoods."

The new strategy, which is due to be considered by senior councillors on York Council's executive on Tuesday next week has set out a series of key aims.

The council is hoping to identify anti-social behaviour hotspots to pursue a policy of prevention and early intervention, while also adopting a tough stance on enforcement.

It is looking to review the support services which are available to victims, while also working in closer partnership with other agencies, including North Yorkshire Police, housing associations and drug and alcohol charities.

While crime rates in York have fallen by 30 per cent during the two years up until the end of March, York Council has nonetheless been inundated with reports of anti-social behaviour.

Official figures have revealed that the authority is dealing with an average of 24,000 incidents every year.

The first sanction usually pursued to tackle anyone guilty of anti-social behaviour is the use of an acceptable behaviour contract (ABCs).

In York, 61 ABCs were issued in 2008, while an average of 43 contracts have been handed out annually in the last three years.

A survey which was conducted in 2008 to establish the extent that anti-social behaviour was plaguing communities revealed that 11 per cent of York's residents felt it was an issue for their neighbourhoods.

However, the York figure was significantly lower than in Scarborough, where 16 per cent of residents believed anti-social behaviour was a problem in their neighbourhoods, while in Leeds the number reached 22 per cent.

Residents in York have also been asked to provide the top three priorities for their neighbourhoods – reducing anti-social behaviour was listed in all but one of the council's wards.

Efforts are, however, already under way to tackle anti-social behaviour across the city.

York's noise patrol service was established four years ago and its officers have been responsible for a series of successful prosecutions. Since the launch, staff have received more than 4,000 phone calls, made more than 2,300 visits and issued in excess of 200 noise notices.

York Council also announced in January that it was due to roll out a project to tackle poverty that had been trialled in the Kingsway West neighbourhood, which ranks as one of the poorest communities nationally.

The Kingsway West pilot project was launched in November 2008, and has provided aid such as free school meals and financial advice to more than 800 homes.