Antisocial Behaviour

(asked on 15th December 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) the Community Trigger and (b) other tools designed to tackle anti-social behaviour are being used properly and effectively to stop people who cause persistent anti-social behaviour.


Answered by
Rachel Maclean Portrait
Rachel Maclean
This question was answered on 6th January 2022

We have provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour (ASB) through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. These powers are deliberately local in nature, and it is for agencies to use their local knowledge of each incident to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.

The Government is absolutely committed to supporting local agencies in using these powers and in tackling and preventing ASB. We know the serious impact this issue has on both individuals and wider communities.

That is why, in July, the Beating Crime Plan laid out the Government’s plan for tackling crime and ASB. This included a commitment to working with local agencies and partners, including the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board, to drive down ASB using the full range of powers and tools in the ‘2014 Act’, including the Community Trigger.

My predecessor as Minister for Safeguarding also wrote out to all local authorities this year to remind them of their duties around the Community Trigger.

In addition, funding has made available for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and local authorities via the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund, which has now allocated £70m to support areas that are disproportionately affected by crime. Many of the crime prevention measures supported by the fund, such as improved streetlighting and CCTV, are also intended to tackle ASB.

The Home Office updated statutory guidance this year to support local agencies further to make effective use of the powers from the ‘2014 Act’, and to ensure a victim-centred approach is taken to tackling ASB.

The Beating Crime Plan also set out a commitment to launch the second part of the PCC Review which is looking to equip PCCs with the tools and levers they need to drive down crime and ASB.

The Home Office only collects data at Police Force Area level and not at lower levels of geography due to the localised nature of the flexible powers. We look to improve upon this collection from April 2022. HMICFRS have also this year begun to request Community Trigger data from police forces, about all cases they have been involved with, in their local area.

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