Home secretary urges local action on ASB
Housing associations are being asked to ensure people who breach anti-social behaviour orders are prosecuted.
As part of a drive to promote local action to tackle anti-social behaviour, the government has announced it is cracking down on ASBO breaches, and improving support for anti-social behaviour victims.
Social landlords, councils and the police are being set a ‘clear expectation’ that court action is taken against people who breach the terms of their ASBO. The Home Office is also looking at how breaches are dealt with, and how the system can be improved.
To improve support for victims, £2.8 million is being spent on a network of 85 ‘victim and witness champions’ in areas where most support is needed.
The Home Office is also asking all areas to commit to a set of ‘minimum standards’ by March 2010. These include giving the community regular updates on work to tackle anti-social behaviour, supporting victims, and recording and investigating all reports of anti-social behaviour.
Home secretary Alan Johnson said: ‘I want to see both police and local authorities using the powers they have been given in a way that is effective and responds to peoples’ needs at the right time.
‘This may be tougher for some areas than others, but communities will have to work together to show that anti-social behaviour is something we tackle rather than tolerate.’
Referring to the case of a mother who killed herself and her disabled daughter after suffering abuse, he added: ‘It is also vital that no-one ignores complaints of anti-social behaviour, as happened in the tragic case of Fiona Pilkington.
‘Those on the receiving end of intimidation and abuse must not be made to feel like they are the ones causing a problem when they come forward.’
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Readers' comments (5)
worried well | 13/10/2009 11:57 am
Ah more standards to add to the previous Respect standards, and get everybody to sign up to them...that will do it.
This is all about people being seen to use the tools that politicians had dreamed up to solve the problem, and that didn't work.
And in an election year when something doesn't work? Well try it even harder to make it work.
It must be the rubbish people using the tools rather than the tool and the approach!
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computerwolfuk | 13/10/2009 4:56 pm
I wonder if the required funding was available to ensure that we could prevent ASB occuring. By implementing such things as properly long term funding of youth activities for working parents or better CCTV in problem areas, perhaps then we wouldnt looking retrospectively all the time at clearing up the mess afterward.
Oh just minute... investing in something long term with no real measureable analysis of its success has never been something that the government can agree to. However we are able to measure ASB and reporting how bad it is when two unfortunate people die as a direct consequence of it!!
Perhaps before we examine our statistics we should examine our conscience?
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Peter | 14/10/2009 9:54 am
Is there any credible evidence that the HAs and local authorities are not pursing ASBs?
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Mike | 15/10/2009 8:15 am
'Intellectual' posturing above. Many estates are still dominated by bullies and families that everyone knows are the problem. It's not a debate - analysis or cctv issue - its about proactivley taking control back by providers having a pro active zero tolerance to it and having it as a real priority for their staff and culture - not endless meetings and discussions about the cause - the death of the family in Leicester is a disgrace and we should be ashamed and hang our heads collectively - the reaction of the Chief Constable there pitiful. Let's get in there and support the complainants early and unceasingly and demand other partners focus on them as well as unceasingly also - what are we scared of - sort it out and make a difference otherwise the rest of it matters nothing
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HHomer | 15/10/2009 11:25 am
Talk about missing the point. The real story is how feeble some courts are in dealing with ASBO breaches. An ASBO is a court order, so a breach is sticking two fingers up to the court, it should be sentenced accordingly. There should also be a punishment escalator, so every breach should be sentenced more harshly. We already prosecute every breach we can, but the yobbos just laugh at some of the sentences - what is the point of a £25 fine that mum will pay?
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