Asbos abolished in new measures to tackle yobs
Police will have to investigate yobbish behaviour reported by at least five people, while Asbos will be abolished, under plans being unveiled by the Government today.
Police will have to investigate yobbish behaviour reported by at least five people, while Asbos will be abolished, under plans being unveiled by the Government today.
Home Secretary Theresa May said the measures aim to put an end to horror stories of victims being ignored despite making repeated complaints to the authorities on problem neighbours. It follows high-profile cases such as that of Fiona Pilkington, who killed herself and her dis- abled daughter Francecca Hardwick, aged 18, in 2007 following 10 years of sustained abuse.
As the Home Secretary ends Labour's Asbos which have been described as a badge of honour among anti-social youths by critics, Mrs May will bring in streamlined measures designed to ensure police take incidents of low-level nuisance seriously.
Police will have to take action to tackle nuisance behaviour if five people in different homes across the same neighbourhood complain, or if one person complains on three separate occasions, under a new "community trigger" power.
Householders who dump rubbish such as furniture in their gardens will get instant fines of £100 and be guilty of a criminal offence.
It is expected to be introduced in three pilot schemes in Manchester, Brighton and Hove and Lincolnshire.
Asbos and 18 other measures are also expected to be replaced with a streamlined system of six measures that target people, places and police powers.
Mrs May is expected to announce a new Criminal Behaviour Order to ban an individual from particular activities or places. And civil Crime Prevention Injunct-ions are also expected to be brought in to give agencies an immediate power to protect victims. The lower standard of proof for civil orders such as the CPI means they can be put in place in days or even hours.
But Vicki Helyar-Cardwell, director of the Criminal Justice Alliance, warned: "There is a risk that if these new measures are not acc-ompanied by necessary support in communities – they will do little in the long term to tackle this important issue."