The government vs Halloween
Friday, 30 October 2009 12:01 AM
By Hollie Slade
The government has launched a full-scale operation to prevent Halloween festivities spilling into widespread teenage Asbo's this weekend by coordinating operations across 69 different areas.
The operation to prevent Halloween mayhem will involve putting over 1,000 youth workers and police on hand to seize illicit alcopops and crack down on "a minority who take things too far" according to policing and crime minister David Hanson.
In Liverpool, police will remove vulnerable or troublesome young people from the street and contact their parents under Operation Staysafe in efforts to prevent a spike in criminal activity.
By promoting 850 policed 'positive activities' including sports, 'dry' discos and performance arts, schools minister Vernon Coaker hopes to avoid "high spirits which can sometimes get out of hand".
Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) is one of the biggest coordinated operations of its kind on Halloween.
Justice minister Maria Eagle said the approach was two-fold.
"Our approach is to seek to prevent young people from turning to crime in the first place, but make it clear that there are serious consequences for those that do offend," she argued.
"We have made real progress in the last year but there is more to be done - this can only be achieved through tough enforcement, alongside positive activities for young people to help turn their lives around."
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