A review needs to take place into how anti-social behaviour is dealt with in west Leeds, senior councillors have claimed, writes Richard Beecham.
Leeds City Council’s outer west community committee met this afternoon at Pudsey Town Hall to discuss the council’s local anti-social behaviour strategy (LABST) for the area.
A report, which went before panel members, claimed a recent consultation showed current levels of demand were unsustainable, due to the number of people trying to use the service and had “complex needs”.
An officer told the meeting:
“With the nature of issues, there has been an increased amount of complex cases and high-risk referrals.
“The interpretation of what constitutes antisocial behavious has increased – it is now a catch-all term.
“Anti-social behaviour cannot be tackled in isolation by one agency. The officers in West Leeds are based on their own. It’s a priority to get them out with the rest of the teams.”
LASBT includes officers from Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police, Housing Leeds, Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services, Youth Offending, and Victim Support.
The meeting then heard that plans to redesign the service could see a final scheme decided by the council’s executive board in June.
Leader of the Leeds City Council Conservatives group Coun Andrew Carter (Calverley and Farsley) said:
“There should be no slippage on this, and I hope it will get to the executive board in June.”
Chairing the meeting, Coun David Blackburn (Green, Farnley & Wortley) said:
“We have got to make it work better than it works at the moment, and give people confidence something is going to happen, and make sure something has improved.”
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