Policing - in brief (25)
01 September 2005
UK: No red card for anti-social ASBO "expert". Louise Casey, the Prime Minister's chief adviser on anti-social behaviour, was forced to apologise in July 2005 after delivering an expletive-laden after-dinner speech mocking ministers and government policy. The senior civil servant, who in September 2005 was made head of the Respect taskforce charged with cracking down on binge drinking and maintaining "good manners", said: "I suppose you can't binge drink any more because lots of people have said you can't do it. I don't know who bloody made that up, it's nonsense...doing things sober is no way to get things done." She added ministers might perform better if they "turn up in the morning pissed" and that when meeting them "the most powerful person in that room is Betsy who brings the tea round". Casey also criticised the formative process of government policy: "If No 10 says bloody "evidence-based policy" to me one more time I'll deck them."
Independent 7.7.05, 3.9.05
UK: ASBO use soars: The number of Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) reported to the Home Office by the end of March 2005 totals 5,557. An ASBO is a civil order that prevents an individual from carrying out a specific act, but if breached a criminal offence has been committed punishable by a £5,000 fine or up to five years in prison for adults. The new figures illustrate a rise of 85% over the first three months of 2005 over those of 2004. At a regional level, Manchester council continues to be the ASBO's most fervent advocate issuing 816 of all orders. In contrast, Liverpool has issued just 156. Announcing the new statistics, Home Office minister Hazel Blears said "This shows that there are still many people suffering at the hands of irresponsible and threatening individuals...ASBOs are an effective way of stopping the actions that make people's lives a misery when other attempts to stop the problems have failed." But 42% of orders are breached, and with half being issued to children this has led to around 50 juveniles being admitted to custody every month.
For more information on ASBOs see Statewatch's ASBOwatch website: http://www.statewatch.org/asbo/ASBOwatch.html; Guardian 4.11.05; Independent 4.11.05