The anti-social behaviour laws give us all a chance

Published: 5 August, 2010

• SPEAKING about reviewing the concept of Asbos, Home Secretary Theresa May argues that punishments should be “rehabilitative and restorative”, rather than “criminalising”.

In making such a statement I feel she has not really researched this subject at all. Authorities have no powers to dish out Asbos like sweets.

It can take as long as a whole year to build up the evidence for an Asbo.

And the process has in-built rehabilitative and restorative measures anyway.

Her aspirations for rehabilitation and restoration may be commendable, however we must accept that ultimately we must have punitive alternatives if people refuse to be rehabilitated and restored and insist on making our lives a misery.

Collective responsibility by standing up in court giving evidence against drug dealers is also a high aspiration in today’s society.

However, we must accept that not everyone will be prepared to risk intimidation and retribution, and we must respect that.

The anti-social behaviour legislation gives everyone a chance to have that collective responsibility by pointing the finger in complete anonymity and helping to build up the reams of evidence which will be needed in preparing an Asbo.

When the Liberal Democrat-Conservative administration came into power in Camden in 2006 the first thing they did was to “review” Asbos in Camden at great expense to taxpayers.

They soon discovered that they couldn’t come up with a better alternative.

Let’s see how much their colleagues, now in Whitehall, will spend reviewing Asbos before coming to the same conclusion!

CLLR MERIC APAK
Labour, Kentish Town ward