Why the government is right to look beyond ASBOs
Peter Hoskin 9:06am
We shouldn't have believed the hype. For all of Tony Blair's earnest focus on
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, this flagship policy was barely in effect at all. By the latest figures, only 18,670 ASBOs were issued
between April 1999 and the start of 2010. According to this Policy Exchange report –
the best on the subject that I've come across – that accounts for around 0.009 per cent of all incidences of anti-social behaviour.
So let's not pretend that the coalition is upending the criminal justice system by shifting away from ASBOs today. Neither, on the evidence at hand, is it doing away with an effective policy. Here's a graph that I've put together from the latest Home Office statistics. It shows that over half of all ASBOs have been breached, at least once, by their recipients:
And if that's not enough for you, then how about some of the points made by that Policy Exchange report? For instance, ASBOs have done little to dissaude the hardcore 5 or 6 per cent of offenders who are responsible for around 50 per cent of known crimes. And although around 6,700 ASBOs were breached between 2002 and 2007, only 14 perps were jailed as a result. Oh, and each ASBO costs around £3,000 to issue.
The question now is whether the government's alternatives will work. There are studies to suggest that some of their more gimmicky measures, such as on-the-spot punishments, will have the desired effect. But I fancy the overall policing framework will make a bigger difference. The priorities of elected police commissioners, and the number of police officers that are unshackled from their desks and dispatched on to the beat – these are the factors that will matter when it comes to dousing the flames of anti-social behaviour
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strapworld
February 7th, 2011 9:43am Report this commentMr Hoskin. You are probably too young to remember but we did have, at one time, quite good systems in place for dealing with young yobs and criminals.
Firstly they could be sentenced by a Court to a Detention Centre where they would have to go, normally on a weekend- which would disrupt their fun and games- for very strict
treatment. It was not a picnic.
If that didn't work and they continued on their path of criminality there was Borstal. A young offenders prison. The discipline was harsh.
Then if that failed they could be sent to prison.
But, I forget, the Conservative Government ended this approach.
From what I am reading about Mrs May's initiative it appears to be yet more nonsense. Taking away their telephones etc. Much along the lines of marching them to the cash machine and fining them on the spot. Absolutely crazy.
I am afraid I will be alone in this but a return to corporal punishment would be a measure these yobs most certainly would not like and which would have a dramatic effect on the streets. BUT I forget we are subject to European Human Rights now and the little darlings can hurt as many as they wish but the State cannot give them some of their medicine.
Yes I am a hanger and a flogger, but I can remember that when I walked the beat if I told yobs to shut up and move on, they did.
They knowing I would arrest them and the courts would be tough.
I would suggest, Mr Hoskin, you take a week off and attend Magistrates Courts and Crown Courts anywhere in the country. Your respect for the rule of law may take a dent.
One thing is certain, with Cameron, Clarke and May there is no chance whatsoever of tough treatment.
ChrisH
February 7th, 2011 9:49am Report this commentAs a police officer I'm very much of the opinion that is there are a hardcore of criminals committing 50% of known crime then they should be locked up for they are committing an awful lot of crimes.
When someone comes before the magistrates having already been given a fine or community sentance many times before and yet again committed a similar crime the response should be severe. We've already seen that it is pretty much impossible to be given the maximum punishment for any crime, let alone the issues of early release etc.
Three strikes from the US may seem overly harsh, but the UK is operating 30 or in some cases 300 strikes and you're never out.
david
February 7th, 2011 9:58am Report this commentThe answer to the, 'Youth problem' is simple, line 'em all up and Ken Clarke will give 'em a slap on the wrist and then Crispin Blunt will give 'em a talk entitled, 'How I've struggled with my sexuality for 20 years' that should put 'em all on the straight and narrow.
Big society, big load of PR bollocks
Dixon of Dock Green
February 7th, 2011 11:01am Report this commentYet again, another Blairite policy is pulled from the filing cabinet, dusted down and relaunched with a new name. Classic Sir Humphrey. Yet again the Coalition suffers the amnesia of office and forgets what it said about this sort of justice measure in opposition. If gangs are to be punished summarily for wearing distinguishing dress what is to stop 'gangs' of nuns, cub scouts and football fans falling foul of the same law. If the asbo mk2 is in reality just more of the same what is going to change ? Would it not be far simpler to ensure that every 'village' needs its own Bobby. Able to march miscreants straight back to their parents or, if their parents are badn's too, the village lock up. Or the Beaks for the short sharp shock of the slammer. This government desperately needs to get a grip and stop being so faddish or it will soon feel as vacuous as the old lot.
Baron
February 7th, 2011 11:22am Report this comment“the hardcore 5 or 6 per cent of offenders who are responsible for around 50 per cent of known crimes…. around 6,700 ASBOs were breached between 2002 and 2007, only 14 perps were jailed …. ASBO costs around £3,000 to issue”.
this sums up neatly not just the asbos shite but the whole of the criminal justice system except for the cost figure, running the charade our law and order has turned into must be costing the taxpayer tens of billions.
one of the brainy proposals seems to be the confiscation of the offender’s personal property, i-phones and stuff, it’s supposed to stop the offender re-offending? Really? Am willing to bet the statistics for muggings, shoplifting, burglaries will shoot up if the police enforce this policy diligently. Where do you reckon the vast majority of the confiscated i-phones and stuff have come from in the first place, ha? Shall I tell you? How about from muggings, shoplifting, burglaries. Madness.
a TV documentary about policing in London, a pair of police officers (no dogs) are chasing three youngsters suspected of drug dealing. The three hide in a house surrounded by a tall wooden fence. The police cannot get in. ‘Open the gate or we’ll break it down, send the dogs in”, shouts one of the officers, then, as he turns his face to the camera whispering, “they’re petrified of physical pain”, the gate opens.
Rhoda Klapp
February 7th, 2011 12:01pm Report this commentWas there really a change of government last year? Really?
TrevorsDen
February 7th, 2011 1:12pm Report this commentthe problem is a social one not a criminal justice one.
Strapworld has a rosy tinted view of the past. The current problems are the problems of the jobless underclass.
David Hatfield
February 7th, 2011 5:05pm Report this commentThere must be a huge filing cabinet in the Home Office named "Good Ideas to Try". When one fails, as ASBOS clearly have,the poor Home Secretary puts on the blindfold,dips into said cabinet and comes out with another "Good Idea" to try. When the cabinet is empty wheel in the old mahogany one marked 1955 and start all over again. Wonderful!
Baron
February 7th, 2011 7:48pm Report this commentwhen you have a minute have a look at this. Such a pity that the victim didn’t wait for the government new measures looking beyond ASBOs, they would have helped.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354569/Killed-iPhone-4-Mugger-stabs-Robbery-victim-head-screwdriver.html#
JohnBUK
February 7th, 2011 8:30pm Report this commentTrevorsDen "Strapworld has a rosy tinted view of the past. The current problems are the problems of the jobless underclass."
Regardless of the cause we have a problem NOW! The trick is what to do about it NOW. I suggest it is simply an issue of motivation. Let's take the far end of the spectrum. What if every time someone committed a crime they were shot dead! Do we think crime would go up or down? At the other end of the spectrum let's give those caught in the act £500 to spend. Will crime rise or fall?
So at the moment it seems the motivation to stop one's poor behaviour is lacking - we need to move the slider further towards the end where it will get results. Not clever or subtle I know but we've had decades of clever and subtle thinking on this subject and I suspect most people believe the problem is worse.
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