COMMUNITY SAFETY AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
GUIDANCE NOTE
INTRODUCTION
Community safety and anti-social behaviour are key issues that impact on the quality of
life of residents in RAPID communities and which consistently feature in the top three
priority issues with RAPID Area Implementation Teams. Anti-social behaviour (which
is not necessarily criminal behaviour) can make life very difficult and stressful for many
residents. It includes behaviours that range from nuisance behaviour to bullying,
harassment and intimidation and can border onto criminal activity. The 2006 Criminal
Justice Act defines anti-social behaviour as follows:
‘A person behaves in an anti-social manner, if the person causes or, in the
circumstances, is likely to cause, to one or more persons who are not of the same
household as the person:
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harassment
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significant or persistent alarm, distress, fear or intimidation, or
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significant or persistent impairment of their enjoyment of their use or enjoyment
of their property.’
Section 113(2)(a)(b)&(c).
Community safety, on the other hand, relates to peoples’ sense of security to live in their
community and to undertake their daily activities in a safe manner. It affects how people
value their community and is a major part of what makes their local area a good or bad
place to live. Community safety provides opportunities for communities, in partnership
with key statutory agencies, to develop plans that can make communities better and safer
places for all to live and work in. Local communities have a vital role to play in the
development and implementation of community safety strategies in their local area.
Local partners and agencies also play a key role as they can bring holistic co-ordinated
approaches to local problems and deliver what is important to local people.
COMMUNITY SAFETY AND RAPID
RAPID offers a valuable inter-agency community vehicle for developing, co-ordinating
and implementing strategies and actions to respond to anti-social behaviour and to build
safe sustainable communities in disadvantaged areas. The RAPID programme and its
implementation structures present opportunities to work in a focused targeted way with
communities experiencing anti-social behaviour and to develop responses based on a
clear understanding of local needs and context. The RAPID Programme nationally will
support the development and implementation of locally led responses to anti-social
behaviour and community safety (Refer to the generic guidelines for more information on
the approach to be employed). Each RAPID area is expected to develop a local
community safety strategy/action Plan that is focused on clear local priorities.
RESULTS AND INDICATORS
There are two sub-themes within this strategic theme, namely, reducing anti-social
behaviour and improving community safety. The proposed results and indicators for
each sub-theme outlined below will require local negotiation in relation to the defined
priorities for the RAPID area.
SUBTHEME
Reducing
anti-social
behaviour
Improving
community
safety
RESULT
INDICATOR
Reduction in levels of
anti-social-behaviour
Agreed AIT/ Garda mechanisms for recording
reporting and tracking ASB issues affecting
residents
Agreed response times by Gardai and Council
to be examined locally
Increase in the number of visible Garda patrols
in the RAPID area
Policy on ASB developed by relevant
stakeholders
Local area action plans
and strategies in
operation
Local action plan to deal with ASB developed
and in operation
Number and type of local area actions
undertaken
Support to inter-agency groups working on
ASB
Number of community safety meetings
annually
Community safety strategy and actions
developed
Number and type of actions being carried out
Improvement in joint agency: community
working
Effective community
safety sub group
established
Creation of safer
residential
environments
Number of laneway closures
Number of estate enhancement projects
Number and type of traffic calming projects
Number of safe, accessible play spaces
developed
Increase in community-based CCTV coverage
Decrease in the level of graffiti
Number of community clean ups
Number of young people involved in youth
activities
Number of appropriate alarms for older people
installed
Percentage reduction in littering/ rubbish
Number of community recycling/ rubbish
collection days
Creation of stronger,
more effective
communities
Number of people involved in community
safety training
Number of young people involved in
community safety projects
Number and type of community safety
consultations undertaken
Increased co-ordination and linkage with other
RAPID strategic themes
Community safety
estate management
plans being
implemented
Community safety estate management plan in
place
Gardai employed on community policing
Neighbourhood watch scheme operational
Reduction in boarded up houses
Improvement in image
and confidence of the
community
Increased positive press coverage of area
Percentage increase in requests for tenancies in
the area
Reduction in fear of crime
Involvement in local awards schemes e.g. Tidy
Estates, Community awards
FUNDING AVAILABLE IN 2008
The core resources being made available to RAPID areas are those presented through the
budgets of the local state agencies and Departments involved in service delivery. The
core Garda resources provided to local divisions should focus on ways in which targeted
responses to RAPID communities can be developed and implemented in partnership with
local communities and other state agencies. In addition to these core resources, some
funding lines, that specifically prioritise RAPID areas, and Leverage Fund opportunities
are also available to progress work on community safety in RAPID areas, as outlined
below.
1.
Community based CCTV Programme
The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform established the Community-based
CCTV Scheme in 2005. The scheme provides financial assistance to qualifying local
organisations towards meeting the capital costs associated with the establishment of local
community CCTV systems.
The scheme offers pre-development (stage 1) grants of up to €5000 to enable qualifying
applicants to investigate the need for CCTV in their area and to complete a detailed
proposal. The scheme also offers development (stage 2) grants of up to €100,000 from
the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for the establishment of a CCTV
scheme. The grants relate to capital expenditure only – funding is not available for the
operational, maintenance and running costs of the CCTV system. Pobal has been
engaged to administer the scheme on behalf of the Department, and it carries out
thorough assessments of all applications received.
The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs provides successful
applicants from RAPID areas with a further grant to a possible maximum of €100,000.
2.
Anti-Graffiti Programme
The Community anti-Graffiti Programme, which is supported by the Department of
Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht
Affairs and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, is to be
launched in early 2008. The programme aims:
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to allow an immediate anti-graffiti impact on a wide range of cities/towns
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in parallel, to move systematically to a longer-term and locally appropriate set of
anti-graffiti actions.
The programme will be rolled out in two phases. The first will allow quick access to
funds to carry out immediate graffiti removal works. The second will fund areas to carry
out a wider range of anti-graffiti activities, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Graffiti removal
Identification of improved landscape design. This will include work with Local
Authorities, businesses or others to identify methods to reduce:
o the targeting of individual sites for graffiti
o the impact of graffiti on these sites
by the improvement of planting, fencing and other arrangements.
Targeted initiatives (including training initiatives) to work with young adult
offenders or young adults at risk to include them in anti-graffiti activities
Educational initiatives on graffiti with broad groups of young people within the
targeted area.
Supporting businesses in self-help to stop or remove graffiti.
Community arts projects to divert young people from destructive graffiti.
Areas will receive a maximum allocation of €150,000 under the scheme. Phase one of the
scheme will be open only to RAPID areas. RAPID areas will be offered additional
weighting in the scoring system for Phase 2.
3.
Leverage Fund Scheme
Existing schemes on Local Authority Estate Enhancement, Traffic Calming and
Playgrounds can be utilized to link with an integrated community safety plan for the
RAPID area.
4.
Dormant Accounts Fund
In 2006 and 2007 funding was made available from the Dormant Accounts Fund to
support priority projects in RAPID areas. It is anticipated that RAPID areas will again
benefit from Dormant Accounts support in 2008, subject to government approval.
EUR7.5m was allocated specifically to RAPID areas in 2007 and it is expected that a
similar amount will be ringfenced for use by RAPID AIT's in 2008. AIT’s may find it
appropriate to target some of these funds on actions eligible for Dormant Accounts
funding within this (or other) strategic themes.
LINKAGES WITH OTHER RAPID STRATEGIC THEMES
1.
Family Support:
There needs to be linkage with the Family Support
theme in order to ensure that vulnerable families (some members may be causing antisocial behaviour and crime locally), are supported and encouraged to change their
behaviour and thus retain their tenancies. This is important in order to prevent
homelessness and family breakdown that can result from anti-social behaviour. It can
also support families to develop and sustain positive lifestyles by responding to some of
their unmet needs. The development of family intervention projects that challenge and
support families to address the causes of their anti-social behaviour are essential.
2.
Physical Environment:
There also needs to be clear linkage with the
Physical Environment theme as the design and layout of estates can contribute to crime
and anti-social behaviour activity in many estates. Issues relating to housing and
maintenance, letting policies, estate management, traffic calming and provision of
amenities, services and facilities are all central to the development of safe communities.
The development of consultation and decision making mechanisms between the Local
Authority and the community is key to making progress on this issue.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY SAFETY STRATEGIC THEME
At national level, a Conference of Garda Representatives on AIT’s will be held in Spring
2008 to focus on the rollout of the Community Safety Strategic Theme and the
implementation of the agency participation guidelines.
At local level, a Community Safety Sub Group of the AIT will be established to focus on
community safety and anti-social behaviour issues in the RAPID area. A strategy will be
developed with an action plan by mid-May 2008. (refer to Generic Strategic Theme
Guidelines for more information).
MEMBERSHIP OF COMMUNITY SAFETY SUB GROUP
It is recommended that the following agencies and groups be invited to participate in the
Community Safety Steering Group:
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Appropriate representation from the Gardai, Local Authority, Probation &
Welfare Service and Fire Service
A representative from local community safety initiatives, where relevant
A community representative nominated from the RAPID Community Forum/
Structure
Leadership of the Community Safety Sub Group should rest with the Garda
representative on the AIT.
NB: The above is not intended to detract in any way from the statutory powers of
agencies to perform their duties or from the requirement for representatives to comply
with their respective organisation’s policies and directives.
SUBMISSION OF COMMU
NITY SAFETY ACTION PLAN
The AIT Garda rep should forward the community safety strategy and action plan, once
endorsed by the AIT and SIM, to their NMC Rep following their own Garda protocols by
Friday, May 16th 2008. The RAPID Co-ordinator should also forward a copy to Pobal
for information.