On Vandals, wreckers and ASBOs

The main concern on my mind at the moment is for the future of our hospitals. However, because of recent events at both ends of the country and the public debate about ASBOS, the issue of crime and disorder has run it a close second.

I put down an entry a few days ago about the firework party which a household in Foxhouses Road decided to hold in the early hours of November 5th (between about 2.45 am and 3.00 am.) While this showed an unfortunate lack of concern for the residents of a large part of Whitehaven, it turns out that this was by no means the most inconsiderate thing to happen in the town in the early hours of that morning. Between 1am and 3am the keyholders were called out after at least eight shops had doors, windows or both smashed by vandals.

On Monday they were still clearing up the damage, while 300 miles away the school where I was an LEA governor for many years was re-opening after being closed for several days due to an arson attack.

We live in one of the richest countries in the world, at a time when even the poor in most countries are better off in many ways than even the most affluent people were for most of human history. Yet a few lunatics feel they have to get their kicks by wrecking things for everyone else. It will not do.

It is worth having another think about the effectiveness of Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs)

There is widespread disenchantment with ASBOs with the suggestion that thugs want them as a "badge of honour." I suspect the problem is not with the idea of ASBOs so much as that in many parts of the country they have been over-used.

If the police and the courts issue thousands of ASBOs but devote little attention to enforcing them, they will become an ineffective merchanism which is little better than a joke - and in some parts of Britain that is exactly what has happened. Frankly, the authorities responsible for imposing ASBOs to deal with trivial issues like a lady who came to the front door in her underwear are guilty of bringing the system into disrepute.

However, if ASBOs are

1) used sparingly and reserved for cases where there is a serious issue which cannot easily be dealt with under other laws and procures, and

2) the police and courts effectively monitor whether they have been obeyed and come down like the proverbial ton of bricks on breaches

then there is a good chance that they will have a real effect.

I'm tempted to suggest that there should be a limit on the number of ASBOs which can be in effect in any one time in each police "Basic Command Unit" area (for example, Copeland and Allerdale are a "Basic Command Unit) equal to so many ASBOs per thousand residents. This should be linked to a policy that all the ASBOs which are imposed are given a reasonably high enforcement priority.

A community in which ten ASBOs have been imposed, all of them have been monitored, and one or two individuals have been jailed for breaching them, will see a much bigger impact on behaviour than a community in which fifty ASBOs were imposed but no effort was put into enforcing them.

Comments

Chris Whiteside said…
Thanks. Will have a look.

Popular posts from this blog

Nick Herbert on his visit to flood hit areas of Cumbria

Quotes of the day 19th August 2020

Quote of the day 24th July 2020