The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Bid to come down hard on anti-social behaviour in city multis extended
Increased police patrols are to be carried out in Dundee in a bid to clamp down on antisocial behaviour in multistorey flats.
A three-month trial of officers visiting Hilltown multis on foot has significantly reduced reports of anti-social behaviour, police say.
Chief Inspector Ross Fitzgerald of the Dundee division of Police Scotland said proactive patrols in the multis have seen a reduction of 99 reports compared to the same period the previous year.
He told Dundee City Council’s community safety and public protection committee that officers spoke to residents in person during patrols.
Mr Fitzgerald said: “There was a lot of positivity around this project where police were able to connect with people.”
He said that Police Scotland now planned to take aspects of the Hilltown project to other multis in Dundee.
Members of the committee were asked to consider a report that showed anti-social behaviour complaints had increased in many parts of Dundee, including Lochee and the East End.
It is not known if the ongoing coronavirus pandemic had impacted this.
Coldside councillor Helen Wright said that many people in the city had their lives devastated by anti-social behaviour.
She said: “For some people anti-social behaviour can be lifechanging, resulting in people who may have lived in their home for 20 years asking for transfers.
“We should be doing more for these people. We need to look at how we can improve people’s lives and we need to identify how we can do that.”
Councillor Wright suggested that noise was the biggest concern for most people reporting antisocial behaviour and she asked if ways to deal with this, including soundproofing walls, could be considered.
Director of neighbourhood services Elaine Zwirlein said the council preferred to try to find solutions for antisocial behaviour rather than having to transfer residents from their homes.
She said: “Since the last report, the team have been able to recommence deployment of sound recording equipment to properties where noise is continuing to be reported without any other sources of evidence.
“This is carried out without entering the properties for safety reasons and is working well.”
Ms Zwirlein said that she would be happy to look at what further could be done for residents and report back to councillors.
Her report broke down anti-social behaviour into categories which showed that noise complaints accounted for 46.97% of cases, general nuisance made up 11.31%, disturbances due to drugs accounted for 13.32% and 7.94% of complaints related to verbal abuse or threats.