Home Office makes Swindon one of the new TOGETHER Action Areas

Swindon has been designated by the Home Office today as a TOGETHER 'Anti-Social Behaviour' Action Area, tackling anti-social behaviour as part of a massive expansion to tackle the problem nationwide.

One of 50 new Action Areas in England and Wales, local authorities, police and other community groups in Swindon will work with local people to take swift and effective action against local problems such as intimidation, nuisance neighbours, vandalism, graffiti and rubbish dumping.

The new TOGETHER Action Areas will be a focus of renewed effort in tackling these issues, and will help to set standards for the rest of the country to follow.

Swindon has already shown its commitment to deal with anti-social behaviour over the last year:

• 110 Cases of anti-social behaviour tackled, including:
• 11 ASBOs
• 6 Dispersal Orders
• 8 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, said: "A year ago we launched the TOGETHER campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour. Since then, a tremendous amount has been done in Swindon and across the country to reclaim our communities for the law-abiding majority. But there is no room for complacency. That is why we are expanding the focus on anti-social behaviour to 50 more areas where, like Swindon, local authorities and the police are committed to working with local people to improve their quality of life.

"There will be no let-up in our TOGETHER campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour. We know that too many communities are still blighted by the yobbish behaviour of a few, who can ruin the quality of life for everyone. We all have a right to live in safe, secure communities, but we also have responsibility to help create those communities. The active engagement of local people is vital to stopping yobbish behaviour and creating strong communities. We need a partnership approach, with local authorities and police, supported by the government, working with the local community to tackle their problems. We have seen over the past year what can be achieved, and I am glad that Swindon is joining with us to do more."

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• The Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan and the TOGETHER campaign set out the practical help the Government gives to councils and other local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour.
  
  
• There is an incidence of anti-social behaviour reported every two seconds across England and Wales and it costs £13.5 million a day to deal with anti-social behaviour. One in three adults say anti-social behaviour is a problem in their local area. [Home Office Daycount of reports of anti-social behaviour on September 10 2003; British Crime Survey].
  
  
• The progress of the campaign one year on can be found at www.together.gov.uk
  
  
• The Home Office report, 'Perceptions and experience of anti-social behaviour: findings from the 2003-2004 British Crime Survey' is available and also the The Home Office Strategic Plan 2004-08 'Confident Communities in a Secure Britain can be found at www.homeoffice.gov.uk