THE man given the job of making Salford a safer place to live believes out-of-control youths can be tamed.

Firstly, they should be talked to, but if that fails Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) should be imposed, says Don Brown.

Mr Brown spent 34 years as a policeman and won a Queen's Commendation for Bravery after arresting an IRA suspect when a fellow officer was shot in Manchester.

For the last three years he has been Salford's head of community safety. He was appointed a month after father-of-four Phil Carroll was attacked in the city.

Mr Brown said: "There are a number of issues nationally which may lead to anti-social behaviour developing among some, not all, young people.

"These can range from inadequate parenting, poor attendance and behaviour at school, misuse of alcohol and drugs and lack of positive role models who young people can relate to, and, in some areas, a lack of meaningful activity to occupy young people. During the last 12 months in Salford we have run Operation Brocade, where, in partnership with the police, youth outreach workers have been out on patrol at peak times in areas where anti-social behaviour has occurred.

Engage

"Their primary role is to engage with youngsters. Their caring approach, tempered by powers of enforcement when necessary, has led to a substantial decrease in anti-social behaviour."

A recent survey in Salford showed that both the fear of crime and the perception that anti-social behaviour is a serious problem has reduced significantly

Mr Brown said: "Our commitment from the outset is to prevent anti-social behaviour from occurring. That is one of the reasons why Salford council has invested in additional police community support officers who have received basic training in youth work to deter would-be offenders.

"There is a view held in some quarters that anti-social behaviour orders do not work.

"Our experience overwhelmingly contradicts that view.

"We have clear evidence of cases where Asbos have changed their behaviour for the better for themselves and the wider community."

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