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End of the ASBO
Reporter: by OUR LOBBY CORRESPONDENT
Date online: 29 July 2010
ASBOs are set to be scrapped after Home Secretary Theresa May warned the flagship measure had failed to tackle bad behaviour.
Introduced by Labour to tackle anti-social behaviour, they allow restrictions on movement and other conditions to be slapped on offenders without having to prosecute them criminally.
But the controversial method of dealing with abusive youths, noisy neighbours and litter louts later became viewed by many yobs as a “badge of honour” and critics said it went against the traditions of British justice.
The system was also criticised for being unsuccessful with offenders regularly breaching the terms of the anti-social behaviour orders.
Across Greater Manchester, 1,793 of the orders have been handed out but more than half of those have not been complied with, according to government records.
Of the 1,133 breaches recorded, 654 were committed by under-18s, the Home Office statistics show.
Mrs May vowed to turn the system on its head as she launched a review.
She added: “Labour introduced a ludicrous list of powers for tackling anti-social behaviour —“These sanctions were too complex and bureaucratic — there were too many of them, they were too time-consuming and expensive and they too often criminalised young people unnecessarily, acting as a conveyor belt to serious crime and prison.”
Mrs May said she wanted the community to come up with its own ideas about how to tackle local problems and outlined plans for volunteers in high-visibility jackets to organise “walk-around days” tackling local issues.
She said: “It’s not just the police, it‚s not just social landlords, or councils — it’s the whole of society that needs to come together and work together to tackle anti-social behaviour.
“Because fundamentally this is a local problem, and the answers to it can only come from local people who are close enough to understand the root causes.”
Shadow Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “There is no doubt the introduction of Asbos have made a huge contribution towards tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
“If the Home Secretary is to restrict the opportunities for the police to use Asbos, and other measures currently available, then this will be yet another example of this government going soft on crime.”
Comments
The concept of the ASBO is correct but media trumpeting and political spin over-hyped them so that public expectation was beyond what they could actually deliver. The problem always has been the effort needed both to compile the evidence in the first place and to drop like a ton of bricks on the ASBO breaker. But if about half of worked, that's better than non wiorking.
Asbos are a weak attempt at tackling "low level crime" although anyone who has been on the receiving end of abusive youths, noisy neighbours and even persistent fly tipping etc, would say its anything but. Its not effective nor it seems enforceable so scrapping the Asbo in favour of making sure offenders pay for their crimes in real terms is the way to go. Heavily fine the parents of offending youths, threaten noisy neighbours with immediate eviction should they offend again would be a start.
'Because fundamentally this is a local problem ...' '..the answers to it can only come from local people ...' says the Home Secretary. In other words, we're going to cut the budget for policing and in the 'big society' you can look after it yourself! Cue Michael Winner and yet another Death Wish movie!
If ASBO's allegedly didn't work, then what chance does Joe Public have of dealing with this sort of behaviour?
It may have been partially succesful, but that will be far more than what follows.
In the area of Oldham where I live I think the ASBOs while not perfect have been very effective in the fight against ant-social behaviour and to do away with them is a big mistake.I can remember a time when the Conservative Party claimed to be the party of Law and Order,but it seems to me that along with their new found Lib-Dem friends they are surrendering the streets to the thugs and hooligans.
JMTS - one media report says 55% of ASBO's were breached. I 'd say that's a good sign that they don't work. Almost half working is definitely better than none, but not as good as 100% & certainly not an acceptable rate. As yet, Theresa May hasn't said what she'd replace them with but it needs to be good. ASBO's are often seen as some sort of "badge of honour" by offenders & they don't seem to worry about getting one. It's a bit rich for Alan Johnson to call this government soft on crime.
I suppose its a bit reactionary to think about bringing back the birch for violent young offenders.
Tempting thought though.
@JMTS, who spun the politics about ASBO's? How can something that has no foundation in law be a correct concept? 50% of all people issued with ASBO's breached them. 40% of people issued with ASBO's breached them more than once.
In order to claim ASBO's worked you have to look at all those issued to check whether or not the person issued had ever caused problems previously or since.
Another major plank of Labour policy thankfully exposed as folly and scrapped.
just simply put them on the community payback team (orange jumpsuits) sweeping the streets
Over here the 'cane' is still used as part of the punishment for certain crimes and it does deter people. In terms of other examples of punishment anyone littering is placed on a 'Community Team' which will be given tasks of collecting litter (of any type) from places like beaches and city centres and they have to wear bright yellow jackets which show that they are part of a group of offenders and it is embarrassing for them.
Murder only has one punishment - hanging.
ProDriver,for once look at something in a positive light: there was a 50% success rate of those issued with ASBO's.
No ASBO = no action against those who perpetrated the offence = freedom to continue to offend in the same manner = what is now likely to happen under the ConDemn coalition proposals.
Two simple questions: (1) do you want a policy with a 50% success rate, that can be built on, or (2) are you going to deal with it yourself?
I await your respone with interest.
Oldboy : I'd like a policy with greater than 50% success. Not sure what the re-offending rate is for ASBO's but this article is about ASBO's being breached. The options you give Prodriver are unfairly limited, in that there is a third : do you want a policy that appropriately punishes offenders, stops re-offending & satisfies the victim? Time will tell if Teresa May can deliver that. Labour obviously didn't.
Like you Peter, I too would like a better return than 50%, that's why I said 'that can be built on'. What I fear we shall have now is absolutely nothing, and that's the worry, never mind a third option!
Have Your Say
ASBO's don't work, so lets get these troublemakers doing some good for the area they have caused trouble in... get them clearing rubbish and grafitti up and repairing the damage they have caused...perhaps they will think twice next time
By Celsus_civis @ 29/07/2010 12:42:10