Bad behaviour ‘a big worry’

Anti-social behaviour is one of the biggest issues Shropshire communities are concerned about, a report has revealed.

The claim is made in a report which is to be put before Shropshire county councillors at a meeting on Friday.

Police today also said that the issue was something that was often raised by the community with officers working to try to tackle the problem in a number of ways.

The county council is working to stamp out anti-social behaviour through a new Shropshire Respect Implementation document which councillors are being asked to endorse.

It provides a guide to tackling anti-social behaviour and focuses on a number of issues including ways to raise awareness of it, how to deal with the most challenging families and how to get schools involved to get positive messages across to youngsters.

Councillors are looking at the issue as part of the Government’s national Respect Programme.

A report to councillors says: “Anti-social behaviour is the most frequently expressed concern when consulting with local communities in shropshire.

“The challenge for Shropshire is to ensure closer working relationships between enforcement agencies, such as the police and community safety and those within children and young people’s services, with a vested interest in joint delivery of the Youth Taskforce action Plan.”

The report focuses on the work under way in the county to tackle anti-social behaviour, including the Shropshire Together Anti-Social behaviour Working Group. This was set up three years ago to introduce a countywide, co-ordinated approach involves a number of organisations.

Maria Hawkaluk, a spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, said: “Concern about anti-social behaviour is an issue often raised at PACT meetings and surgeries.

Such behaviour has a detrimental effect on people’s quality of life and is something Local Policing Teams across the county are working hard to deal with it.”

By John Kirk