Home Secretary hits the streets for Respect
Back to Previous pageHome Secretary hits the streets for Respect
26 June 2006
New squad has no respect for persistent anti-social behaviour
Home Secretary John Reid took to the streets of Waltham Forest late on Friday night to see for himself what the new national Respect Squad will be up against. The new group, made up of experienced police and local government trouble-shooters, launched last week.
The squad will be called upon by local authorities, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, police and MPs, whenever swift resolution is needed to stubborn behavioural problems in neighbourhoods across the country.
Dr Reid said, 'Anti-social behaviour ruins lives and fragments communities - particularly those in some of the most deprived areas of our country. The Government's new Respect Squad will ensure there is no let-up in tackling anti-social behaviour until every community in every part of the country gets a swift and effective response.'
Working together
The Respect team will investigate cases and make recommendations to the Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships. Those recommendations will then be made available to the public so that they can stay informed.
The launch of the Respect Squad is the culmination of work begun in September 2005, when the Respect Task Force got underway. It produced the Respect Action Plan in January, setting out a comprehensive effort to bear down uncompromisingly on anti-social behaviour by tackling its causes and strengthening accountability.
'Daily grind' of abuse
The Respect Squad is expected to be a serious step towards defeating problems with anti-social activity across the country. The Government's Co-ordinator for Respect, Louise Casey, said, 'Those experiencing the daily grind of this behaviour deserve a prompt and effective response. The Respect Squad will assist with this while also creating a public record so local people can demand answers if action is not taken.'
Home Secretary Reid put it simply, 'We should be, and will be, unremitting in our efforts to drive up standards of behaviour and enforce a culture of respect for the benefit of all.'
For more detail on the squad and the Respect Action Plan, visit the Respect website.
