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There have been reports in the national press recently questioning the effectiveness of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs). ASBOs were first introduced in 1998 through the Crime and Disorder Act, to give local authorities, and the police, a tool to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 then followed which extended the powers to other organisations, including housing associations and, on application, magistrates. The term ASBO refers to a civil order against any person aged 10 or over, on the grounds that they are acting ‘in a manner likely to cause harassment or distress'. The reports claim that in some parts of the country, every ASBO issued has been breached, on average, three times. But in West Cumbria, ASBOs are working. Out of all of the ASBOs granted in 2005, 93% were cancelled in 2007 when they came up for review. In trying to understand our success, we asked one of our colleagues with first hand experience of ASBOs, to give us his views. We'll call him David, he told us that from the age of 11, he became involved in incidents of anti-social behaviour, disorder and nuisance, mainly at his school, from which he had been excluded. His bad behaviour progressed to other incidents outside school, on his estate, in the town centre and at his local rugby club. He told us that he'd been "abusive towards others, sworn at school staff and members of the public, been kicked off buses after being disruptive and created a nuisance with his mates". His parents were desperately trying to put him back on the right track. Today, his parents watch with pride as David, now 15, makes the most of a rare second chance by studying hard for his National Vocational Qualifications. David's dad, said: "He has changed a heck of a lot from where he was two years ago. The Order has just finished and I think he's learned a lot from the help and supervision he's been given." The success of ASBOs in West Cumbria is down to a successful ‘virtual' partnership between local councils, the police, housing associations, the probation service, Connexions and education welfare officers. The partnership works by looking to solve problems in different ways; an ASBO is not taken out for the sake of it, it is the last thing that is done if every other way of solving the problem fails. In terms of West Cumbria bucking the trend on ASBOs, let's leave the last word to David himself: "It was hard because I had to keep away from some parts of town and stopped knocking around with some people. Before, I never much enjoyed school. Now I want to go to college to train to be a painter and decorator." Gillian Bishop is chief executive of Allerdale BC

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WHITEHALL

District View

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