Mike O'Brien

Atherstone Parents asked to help deal with anti-social behaviour

Residents on an estate in Atherstone have been sent a leaflet asking them to get involved in tackling a local problem of anti social behaviour.
 
A minority of Youths on the Sheepy Road estate have created problems for shop keepers and residents with abuse, threats and bad behaviour. To deal with this the Councillors and Mike O’Brien MP have been working with the council officers, the police and the Residents Association.  The Councillors and the MP have sent the leaflet.

The leaflet sets out local plans to deal with anti social behaviour and asks parents to help tackle the problem.  It was drafted following a public meeting organised by the Residents Association. The measures proposed include mobile CCTV cameras, more police and police community support officers working later hours, extra effort by local youth workers and the possibility of tenancy of council homes being affected by troublesome children. The leaflet also gives council and police contact details so that residents can report any concerns.
 
Mike O’Brien said, “It’s not just about the Police or the Council acting.  Local people have a role too.  Parents and grandparents in the area are being asked whether their kids might be part of the problem.  After all, it’s someone’s kids who are causing the problem.  They are local kids.  No doubt a small minority, but the community must pull together and take responsibility to prevent this anti-social behaviour.

“Quite simply we’re asking parents to take responsibility for their children’s actions. This is a problem the community can lick if it works together.”

But the MP has said that people should not be frightened into thinking that problems like those in Atherstone mean that crime is rising.  He pointed to recent figures released by the Home Office showing that since 1997 crime has fallen by almost two-fifths.

He said,” I know people are worried by crime and fear of crime can paralyses some people.  But it need not.  We can get a grip on crime.  A month ago the British Crime Survey showed overall crime down by 39 per cent since 1997.  Domestic burglary is down by a massive 55 per cent, vehicle-related thefts are down by 57 per cent, and all personal crime is down by 39 per cent.

“Only in the last year in Britain the police recorded crime statistics show that the total recorded crime has fallen by 6 per cent. This includes falls in firearm offences by 22 per cent, robbery by 16 per cent and violence against the person by 7 per cent.

“So we can succeed in reducing problems.  That’s why initiatives to get communities like Sheepy Road to work together led by the Residents Association and the Councillors are important.  We can change things.”  

MP Mike O’Brien added, “Whilst it is true that crime doubled during the eighties and early nineties.  Since then it has fallen.  But there is a lot more to do.  Tackling anti-social behaviour is the key.  If people get away with that, they can graduate to bigger offences. 

“New laws have been passed to help the police to do their work and stop this behaviour.  Our public places must not become out of bounds to decent people because of a bunch of badly behaved youths. The laws are now in place to deal with this.  Communities in Atherstone and elsewhere can work with the Police and the council to get control of areas and sort out thugs.”
 
NOTES TO THE EDITOR

Crime figures are taken from the British Crime Survey statistics and the Police Recorded Crime Statistics. There were both announced on the 23rd October and are available from the Home Office on request.