Agenda item

            (Mr. P. Murray, Antisocial Behaviour Co-Ordinator, attended in connection with this item.)

 

            The Director of Parks and Leisure submitted, for the Committee’s consideration, the undernoted report:

 

“1.       Relevant Background Information

             

            The purpose of this report is to:

 

·         report an overview of antisocial behaviour by electoral area; and

 

·        update Committee on the recent work of the Antisocial Behaviour Coordinator in Parks and Leisure and the key areas of focus and expenditure at present.

 

2.         Key Issues

             

            The antisocial behaviour programme contributes to the achievement of the departmental vision of providing quality parks, open spaces and leisure environments that people value and use.  In particular, it will enable the delivery of the departmental objective regarding the provision of programmes and services to make people feel safer.

 

            In line with the departmental plan, the objectives of the antisocial behaviour programme are:

 

·        enhance the environment around Parks and Leisure facilities;

 

·        develop education initiatives involving creative or supportive interventions to model acceptable behaviour around Parks and Leisure facilities;

 

·        define enforcement as a deterrent against infraction of bye-laws and legislation; and

 

·        develop sustainable interagency and inter-departmental networks and leading a partnership approach to reducing antisocial behaviour.

 

            The Antisocial Behaviour Coordinator prioritises action and expenditure by collating evidence gathered through antisocial behaviour incident reports.  This information is used to inform a coordinated partnership response, drawing on council resources, the support of local community resources, PSNI and the Community Safety Partnership (see Appendix 1 Summary of Interventions).

 

            The evidence available in December 2011 indicates that there is an upward trend in antisocial behaviour in parks in Oldpark, Castle and Court and electoral areas. The increase in antisocial behaviour incident reports in these areas can in part be attributed to the development of improved reporting and recording systems which will be introduced across the city between April – October 2012.  Although this will result in a rise in incidents throughout 2012-13, the data collected will provide a much more accurate picture of the type of antisocial behaviour in each area.

 

            Increase in incidents

 

            During April - December 2011, there has been an increase in the total number of antisocial behaviour reports in comparison to April - December 2010. The incident count rose from 546 to 567.  This increase is reflected in reported antisocial behaviour incidents in Woodvale, Waterworks, Cavehill and Ballysillan Parks. The park locations with rising levels of antisocial behaviour will be the focus of more intensive interventions to reduce antisocial behaviour in the next six months.

 

            Falls Park and City Cemetery, Ormeau and Orangefield have experienced much less antisocial behaviour in comparison to the previous year while in Alexandra and Botanic the levels of antisocial behaviour are approximately the same.  There is a continuing downward trend in these park locations.

 

            The downward trend can be attributed to a number of factors:

 

·        A seasonal winter trend, where there is less inappropriate use of parks and leisure facilities.

 

·        The success of joint operations involving community networks, the council and PSNI to challenge youths drinking in Falls Park and City Cemetery.

 

·        There were a series of mobile CCTV van operations within Ormeau, Orangefield and Botanic parks following a number of serious incidents during the spring and summer.  

 

·        An increase in resources from the department and antisocial behaviour programme supporting community led events at Alexandra, Falls and Orangefield parks.

 

·        The park rangers have been working closely with PSNI to challenge drinkers in Ormeau, Orangefield and Botanic parks.

 

            There is a changing shift in incident reports across the city during the last twelve months: parks with most incidents in April – December 2010 in comparison to April – December 2011.

 

            The main antisocial behaviour issues that have been recorded are:

 

·        Unauthorised use of council facilities: generally describes drinking after the park closes.

 

·        Property damage: indicates fire setting or damage from vehicle tyres.

 

·        ASB Other: Generally describes drinking and fire setting

 

·        Youths causing annoyance.

 

·        Under age drinking.

 

·        Theft: the majority of theft occurred in the Ozone.

 

·        Misuse of Vehicles: Motor cycles or scramblers travelling through the park.

 

            Communications to the Public

 

            Members had previously requested that details of resources invested in responding to antisocial behaviour or vandalism should be made available.  Two separate communications initiatives are under development.  One will link the cost of repair to reports of damage and ASB and the other will focus on a park or playground and report the cost of repairing damage in that area to the local community.

 

            Alongside the actions that have been implemented (see Appendix 1 Summary of interventions) or are being planned across the city, the antisocial behaviour programme resources will also focus on reducing the types of antisocial behaviour found in these areas during the remainder of the financial year and a year end report will be presented in June 2012.

 

3.         Resource Implications

             

            The development of the programme will be facilitated through the agreed antisocial behaviour budget 2011-12 which is approximately £250,000.

 

4.         Equality and good relations implications

 

            Much of the antisocial behaviour programme work spans activities related to reducing interface tensions and bringing youth together to take part in positive programmes and activities.  All of the programme work is in line with the council’s equality and good relations policies and procedures.

 

5.         Recommendations

 

            Members are asked to note the contents of this update report.

  

                                                                                                     Appendix 1

 

Summary of interventions September to December 2011

 

There have been a series of successful actions implemented throughout the period of September to December 2011.  Parks operations are separated into three distinct areas: North, East and South/West.  The details of thematic interventions within these areas include:

 

North Belfast

 

Environment

 

·            Marrowbone fence installation, removal of a gate and extensive reduction of shrubbery throughout park to increase line of sight through the park.

 

Education

 

·            Grove WBC and Grove PF: Support for Midnight Soccer programme in Lower North Belfast in response to residents concerns about the increase in antisocial behaviour at weekends.

 

Enforcement

 

·            Grove WBC and Grove PF: Working alongside the PSNI and Community representatives to divert youths from antisocial behaviour in the area.

 

·            Cavehill CCTV: improvements were made to this resource to ensure privacy to residents while providing excellent quality images around the Innisfayle Park gates.

 

East Belfast

 

Environment

 

·      Orangefield fence: Drinkers were lighting fires around the bowling pavilion; the fence was placed to deter this activity.

 

·            Knocknagoney Park: extensive pruning of trees behind the community centre to reduce likelihood of fly tipping.

 

Education

 

·            Knocknagoney: a leaflet circulated by PSNI was to residents with information on reporting fly tipping and guidance on bulky waste collections.

 

Enforcement

 

·            Mobile CCTV Van patrols in September through out Ormeau, Orangefield, Botanic and Belmont Parks.

·            Knocknagoney: Joint BCC and PSNI preparation of a leaflet to deter fly tipping.

 

South and West Belfast

 

Environment

 

·            Wedderburn Park fence: following a request from the local community and PSNI, a fence was erected to prevent youths accessing the park through a resident’s hedge.

 

Education

 

·         Falls Park support for schools programme

 

·         Falls Park support for art project with Gael Art

 

·         Northlink  Park support for Christmas celebration

 

Enforcement

 

·            Falls park Halloween joint operations: Community members, Youth workers, local school Teachers, PSNI and Park Staff worked together to divert hundreds of youths (intent on drinking) away from the park.

 

All areas

 

Interagency and Interdepartmental networks

 

The antisocial behaviour programme coordinator has been engaged in a range of internal and external partnerships.

 

·            Area based partnership meetings used to identify and monitor antisocial behaviour and co-ordinate interventions around parks and leisure facilities.

 

·            Joint working with Community safety fora, Antisocial behaviour Officers, and Environmental Health Service Wardens are improving our ability to effectively respond to antisocial behaviour.

 

·            Participation in the internal officers groups such as the Antisocial behaviour Liaison Officers group and the Bonfire internal officers group has provided support to effectively respond to a wide range of incidents, improve the effective “one council” approach and ensure safer park events throughout the city.

 

·            Development of a new antisocial behaviour reporting system which will connect amount of damage reported with the cost of repair. This system will be developed within the Parks Warden Pilot due to commence in April 2012.”

  

            After discussion, during which the role played by some community groups in achieving a downward trend in antisocial behaviour activity in some park locations was recognised, the Committee noted the report.  The Committee noted also that information would be submitted to a future meeting setting out the options and the financial implications for the use of mobile Closed Circuit Television Camera operations.