De nieuwe Engelse aanpak voor overlast

Geplaatst op door

Het Home Office presenteerde in 2011 nieuwe plannen voor de aanpak van asociaal gedrag. De plannen liggen ter consultatie van organisaties en het publiek voor. Onderdeel van de plannen is afschaffing van de ASBO, introductie van nieuwe gedragsaanwijzingen en de invoering van een ‘community trigger’.

Download het consultatierapport hier. Het plan wordt o.a. gesteund door het Chartered Institute of Housing. Zie hier.

De Anti-Social  wordt vervangen door de Crime Prevention Injunction, zie hier.

Kritiek op het afschaffen van de ASBO is hier te vinden.

Het Home Office meldt zelf op zijn website:

“Councils, police and other local agencies will be forced to support victims of persistent antisocial behaviour as part of plans to give them better tools and powers outlined by crime prevention minister James Brokenshire today.

This follows a review that found there are too many tools for practitioners to tackle ASB some of which are too bureaucratic, too costly and do not address underlying problems. At the same time, the growing numbers of people who ignore their penalties suggest a persistent minority are still not being deterred from committing ASB.

A public consultation, launched today, proposes a number of new measures to better protect communities from the serious harm caused by criminal and antisocial behaviour.

Community triggers

These include:

  • community triggers where local agencies will be compelled to take action if several people in the same neighbourhood have complained and no action had been taken; or the behaviour in question has been reported to the authorities by an individual three times, and no action had been taken
  • criminal behaviour orders — issued by the courts after conviction, the order would ban an individual from certain activities or places and require them to address their behaviour for example attending drug treatment programmes. A breach would see an individual face a maximum five year prison term
  • crime prevention injunctions – designed to nip bad behaviour in the bud before it escalates. The injunction would carry a civil burden of proof, making it quicker and easier to obtain than previous tools. For adults, breach of the injunction could see you imprisoned or fined. For under-18s a breach could be dealt with through curfews, supervision or detention
  • community protection orders – comprising one order for local authorities to stop persistent environmental ASB like graffiti, neighbour noise or dog fouling; and another for police and local authorities to deal with more serious disorder and criminality in a specific place such as closing a property used for drug dealing
  • police ‘direction’ powers — a power to direct any individual causing or likely to cause crime or disorder away from a particular place and to confiscate related items

Subject to consultation the new tools will replace 18 of the formal powers currently available. They will be more flexible, quicker to obtain and less bureaucratic for police, courts and other local agencies, making it easier to deal with persistent offenders.

James Brokenshire statement

Crime prevention minister James Brokenshire said: ‘For too long antisocial behaviour has wreaked havoc in our communities and ruined decent people’s lives.

‘It is time for a new approach that better supports victims and makes it easier for the authorities to take fast, effective action.

‘This consultation sets out a how we propose to tackle this stubborn problem, ensuring the most vulnerable in our communities are protected from the cowards and bullies who carry on in such an offensive manner.

‘It is important there is no let-up — local areas must continue to use the most appropriate powers available to them.’

Victims and witnesses comissioner statement

Louise Casey, commissioner for victims and witnesses, said: ‘In my role as victims’ commissioner I have seen first hand the powerlessness and despair that victims often feel when they are targeted again and again by anti-social and criminal behaviour. So I am heartened by the announcement of the new proposals today that put tough enforcement action against perpetrators at the centre.

‘I am pleased that the message being sent out from government today is that there is no excuse for police and councils to stand by and allow their communities to suffer from lawless, mindless thuggery that makes people’s lives unbearable.'”

Zie hier.