Policy & Practice: Soapbox - Early intervention is crucial totackling youth crime

All important issues. But where do we hear the Government providing the necessary leadership to tackle the causes of antisocial behaviour that seem to blight so many of our communities?

The Taking A Stand awards, which Crime Concern co-ordinated with the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, rewarded the unsung heroes of neighbourhoods. An analysis of the 650 nominees discovered that 80 per cent were concerned about young people causing problems on the streets.

There have also been recent concerns about young people hanging about in shopping centres. It was interesting to hear that the shopping centre Bluewater had banned young people from wearing hoodies on its premises (YPN, 18-24 May, p3). But there is another way of dealing with this kind of problem. We've been working with young people over the past three years to reduce crime in 15 shopping centres owned by the insurance group Prudential.