Funding to tackle anti-social behaviour pulled

Kent's PCC Matthew Scott announced the scheme in January and it was due to start in autumn

Funding for a programme aimed at swiftly tackling anti-social behaviour in Kent has been pulled by the government.

Under the Immediate Justice scheme, announced by Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Scott in January, those found committing offences would be made to repair any damage as soon as 48 hours after the offence.

But a Home Office official wrote to all police and crime commissioners in July stating that only 10 pilot forces, not including Kent, would continue testing the scheme.

“The previous government’s immediate justice pilots demonstrated that it takes significant time to get projects up and running,” a Home Office spokesman said.

The scheme was due to begin this autumn.

'Naturally disappointed'

The Home Office official is understood to have told commissioners that the full roll-out “would not be sensible”, but no reasons were given for the decision, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Kent was earmarked for £932,000 of Home Office funding to enhance neighbourhood policing, with half to be devoted to the Immediate Justice programme.

Mr Scott, who was re-elected as to a third term as Kent’s PCC in May, said he was “naturally disappointed” with the decision.

“This is not the time to be scaling back schemes that will reduce re-offending and prevent crime,” he said.

“I will not be deterred from my commitment to Kent residents to take the action that is needed to make those causing anti-social behaviour pay back to our neighbourhoods.”

The Home Office added that only six months of funding was available to other police forces new to the scheme.

“This would not have been an effective nation-wide programme for tackling anti-social behaviour, nor would it offer value for taxpayer money – even more so in the light of the state of public finances which this government has inherited,” a spokesman said.