Police chiefs have set up a new £3 million partnership fund to stop anti-social behaviour from destroying neighbourhoods across Northern Ireland, it emerged today.
Residents' associations and local authorities have been urged to help officers devise new ideas to curb vandalism and under-age boozing.
Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton pledged full police support for any innovative attempts.
As well as moving youths off street corners, attempts to educate drink-driving migrant workers are also planned.
Efforts to end friction between students and residents in the Holylands district around Queen's University in Belfast are understood to feature in the Policing with the Community strategy as well.
He said: "This is about saying we can't do this on our own.
"These are problems, and we are saying to the Housing Executive, Health Service or whoever: 'How do we come up with a solution'. The money is to enable them to come up with the solution."
Mr Leighton managed to secure the extra £3m from the Norther Ireland Treasury over three years for an initiative he is certain will prove an overwhelming success.
Police hours spent dealing with issues that could be settled by some novel thinking were draining the public purse, it was suggested.
"There's a lot of research in America that says a dollar invested early saves seven dollars later in terms of criminal and anti-social behaviour," he said.
"We would hope to save between £15-20 million of public funds from this initiative."
PA