'Crazy for Government to ditch ASBOs', warns Cooper

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says it's "crazy" for the Government to end Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), after the latest crime statistics revealed a drop in the proportion of people reporting a high-level of ASB in their area and greater confidence in the police and local authorities to deal with such cases.

Yesterday's statistics showed that the number of crimes recorded by police in England and Wales fell by 6% in the year to end of December 2010.

Home Secretary Theresa May announced plans to ditch ASBOs in March. She wants to replace them with simpler sanctions, saying: "Where possible they should be rehabilitating and restorative, rather than criminalising and coercive."

Under new plans, ASBOs, Criminal ASBOs and a whole range of other measures will be replaced with Criminal Behaviour Orders and Crime Prevention Injunctions which will still enable authorities to ban an individual from certain activities or to nip bad behaviour in the bud before it escalates.

Ministers have stressed the replacement powers will make the sanctions "speedier to attain and also will mean the lower civil standard of proof is important".

Yesterday's crime statistics revealed a decrease in the proportion of people with a high-level of perceived anti-social behaviour in their local area compared with the year ending December 2009 (from 15% to 14%).

British Crime Statistics interviews also showed that 52 per cent of people agreed that the police and local agencies were dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime issues that mattered in their area, higher than the 51 per cent in the previous year.

Yesterday, Ms Cooper said: “The fall in the proportion of people reporting a high level of anti-social behaviour in their area is welcome, so too is the gradual increase in confidence in the police and local authorities to deal with anti-social behaviour. But there is still a lot more to do, which is why it is crazy of the Government to end ASBOs, weaken anti-social behaviour powers and cut prevention so hard. Weakening action against crime and its causes is unfair on local communities who still face problems.”

Elsewhere, the BCS revealed an increase in domestic burglary (up 14%) and a seven per cent fall in firearm offences recorded by the police compared with the previous 12 months.

Ms Cooper added: “The overall reduction in crime up to the end of last year is very welcome, especially alongside the fall of over 40 per cent since 1997. However today's figures also highlight some areas of concern and show the importance of continued vigilance in the fight against crime.

"In particular, the British Crime Survey shows a significant increase of 14 per cent in burglary compared to the same time last year.

“For victims of crime, the personal loss, distress and anxiety they face can be immense. Most people would agree that crime is still too high and we want it to continue to fall, as it did during the Labour Government.

“And that's why the Tory-led Government is wrong to make it harder for the police and communities to fight crime by cutting over 12,500 police officers, forcing specialist police units to close, and weakening powers on DNA, CCTV and anti-social behaviour.”