Decision

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that there was going to be a national media campaign around the festive period in relation to e-scooters and e-motorcycles and that this would be shared with Members in due course;

(ii)            to note the report and acknowledges the work of Police Scotland, Council staff, youth workers, voluntary organisations and community safety partners in tackling antisocial behaviour in Aberdeen city centre;

(iii)          to welcome the reported reduction in antisocial behaviour calls during January–August 2026, but recognises the appendix’s express caution that fewer calls do not necessarily demonstrate a corresponding reduction in the underlying prevalence of antisocial behaviour;

(iv)          to express concern that 1,225 antisocial behaviour calls were recorded during that period, that adults account for the majority of incidents, and that street drinking, intimidation, violence, threatening and abusive behaviour and dangerous vehicle use continue to affect the safety and confidence of residents, workers, businesses and visitors;

(v)           to agree that the information presented does not provide a sufficiently detailed account of trends in recorded crime, repeat offending, harm to victims or unreported antisocial behaviour to enable the Committee to assess fully the effectiveness of current interventions;

(vi)          to instruct the Chief Executive, working with Police Scotland and the Community Safety Partnership, to bring a report to the June 2027 meeting of this Committee setting out:

(a)           comparable city-centre figures for 2024, 2025 and 2026, distinguishing calls, incidents and recorded crimes, with breakdowns by offence type, adult and youth involvement, location and time where available;

(b)           a specific action plan addressing adult antisocial behaviour, repeat offending, street drinking, intimidation and violence, combining appropriate enforcement with access to addiction, mental health and other support services;

(c)           arrangements for visible patrols and coordinated responses at identified hotspots and peak times, together with measures to support victims, businesses and repeat callers;

(d)           the staffing, funding and continuation arrangements for youth work, the Ambassador pilot and other preventative interventions, identifying any funding gaps and options for addressing them; and

(e)           measurable outcomes, responsible partners and delivery timescales, informed by engagement with residents, businesses, workers and young people; and instructs that this further report assesses risks to public safety, service delivery and city-centre confidence, including the implications of any resource or funding gaps; and

(vii)         to agree that progress against the action plan should be reported to this Committee at six-monthly intervals, enabling members to scrutinise whether interventions are reducing harm and improving public confidence.