§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of the joint police authorities and local authorities strategy to tackle disorder by youths and other anti-social behaviour. [84299]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesAs required by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, unitary authorities and the police in Wales, working in partnership with other key agencies,274W have developed crime and disorder reduction strategies. These strategies have set objectives and targets with action plans covering the next three years to address local issues and concerns as identified by comprehensive crime and disorder audits and public consultation.
Several audits revealed that people are more concerned with disorder and anti-social behaviour than with crime; problems presented by young people, and drugs and alcohol misuse, were the issues most frequently raised. This is reflected in the strategies, most of which have tackling youth crime and disorder as one of the top priorities, together with the need to work closely with Youth Offending Teams and Drug and Alcohol Action Teams. Some of the solutions proposed include the provision of more facilities for young people and involving them more in community affairs, and many areas are establishing local crime action teams to address specific issues, including youth crime.