Events | 2009.11.20
'Gangbos' to fight antisocial behaviour
New injunctions against gangs and action on wheelclampers included in Alan Johnson\'s crime bill
New antisocial behaviour injunctions – dubbed gangbos – aimed at tackling teenage gang members as young as 14 are to be introduced as part of the new crime and security bill, the home secretary disclosed yesterday.
The civil injunctions will include bans on meeting other gang members, wearing gang colours, going to certain locations or having a violent dog in a public place.
Breaching a gangbo could require the offender to report to the police regularly, obey a curfew enforced by an electronic tag or attend anger management courses.
Similar measures aimed at curbing the activities of adults over 18 who are being sucked into gang culture became law last week, but the new proposals will apply to 14- to 17-year-olds.
The provision emerged when the new crime and security bill was published today by the home secretary, Alan Johnson. He said the legislation would help tackle a range of issues which can affect individuals and neighbourhoods, whether it was antisocial behaviour causing misery to residents or young people engaging in violent gang behaviour.
"I want to help those most at risk, preventing the cycle of crime and violence. The new measures are tough, but they also include measures such as help to leave a gang and compulsory parenting orders when a young person breaches an asbo," said the home secretary.
The crime and security bill also proposed licensing private wheelclamping companies. A statutory code of conduct will place a cap on fines, prevent cars being towed too soon after being clamped and an independent appeals process for motorists who feel they have been unfairly clamped or fined.
The bill\'s publication coincides with the launch today of a £1.9m national advertising campaign explaining the policing pledge – what the public can expect from their local force in England and Wales.
The policing pledge includes a promise to answer 999 emergency calls within 10 seconds, for neighbourhood policing teams to respond to all messages within 24 hours and to send a patrol out to non-emergency calls within an hour if the caller is vulnerable or upset or if their case is a priority issue. Also, anybody should be able to get an appointment to meet police within 48 hours in non-emergency matters, and dedicated beat officers will spend at least 80% of their time on patrol.
The television, radio, leaflet and press advertising campaign is to be followed by new guidance to police forces from the Ministry of Justice, which encourages them to name and shame recently convicted criminals in each neighbourhood.
The Dorset police is pioneering the scheme with a Behind Bars feature on its website , http://www.dorset.police.uk/Default.aspx?page=2716, which gives details on local offenders who have recently been jailed, including their photograph, name, offence, the length of their prison term and when they were sentenced.
Louise Casey, the Home Office crime adviser, said they needed to be sure there was very clear guidance to all police and local authorities about information they could release about convicted criminals so it was proportionate to what they had done.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/21[...]cial-behaviour-policing-pledge
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