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Time to get tough on anti-social behaviour

Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date25 May 2021
Date25 May 2021
Publication titleEvening Chronicle
Kim McGuinness was re-elected earlier this month and has set out how she plans to deal with the one of the problems residents say troubles them the most.

The PCC put together her first Police and Crime Plan at the start of this year after getting views from more than 5,900 residents.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is now one of her top priorities, and she is determined to make sure police and councils work together effectively to get results.

Ms McGuinness said: "We are all residents, we all experience antisocial behaviour. It's not a surprise to me, but it's fair to say perhaps we haven't had the most joined up way of dealing with it in the past.

"There are processes in place, but it has to be about more than process. It has to be about putting the resident back at the centre. We have to make sure we get the police and the police and the councils' working with youth organisations and make sure it's a joined-up approach.

Within weeks of being elected in 2019 Ms McGuinness established Northumbria's first violence reduction unit (VRU). Based on a model that successfully cut violence in Glasgow, the unit aims to take a public health approach to crime by identifying and treating the causes and looking at ways to prevent it before it spreads.

Ms McGuinness has hailed the unit a success and says violent crime has reduced since its launch.

She is now hoping to use a similar approach to deal with antisocial behaviour.

"I found with the Violent Reduction Unit just the small act of getting people round the table early works," she said.

"It's that joined-up approach across the board. And making sure everyone is focused on the same problem, and real solutions that people can see."

Ms McGuinness...

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