Michael Noonan's hoodie ban

[Macy]

Drunk-driving is illegal, being a chav isn't.

No, being a chav isn't and simply being a chav won't get you an ASBO. Being a little dick causing trouble in your neighbourhood (or more often than not someone elses) and intimidating people going about their normal business is.

[anto1208]

On the other hand, with ASBOs, a guard asks a judge to deem that an individual is acting in an anti-social manner and the judge slaps an ASBO on them. No court case, no due process, no right to appeal and the end result is that little bástard is now criminalised - in other words they have a black mark against them without the normal process having taken place.

Here's another bleeding heart liberal site I found which explains what I mean.
http://www.asboconcern.org.uk/

KOH

yea but they have a black mark because of there own actions , if they were nt causing trouble there would be no problem , asbo's dont criminalise you for life anyway because as soon as you turn 18 or dont reoffened for a certan time ,it is wiped from your record . its only if you continue to reoffened does it matter .

and by the way some one that is continually reoffendeing should be kept on record .

all asbo's do is impose a curfew on the person really, and in most case's actually save the young person from entering the downward spiral into a life of crime .

[John83]

Here's another bleeding heart liberal site I found which explains what I mean.
http://www.asboconcern.org.uk/

KOH

From that site:
"This has allowed asbos to be used to ban activity that is not in itself criminal, such as begging, prostitution and even playing football or being sarcastic."

Since when is prostitution not a criminal act?

Has there really been a case of someone getting an ASBO for sarcasm? That'd be just great.

all asbo's do is impose a curfew on the person really, and in most case's actually save the young person from entering the downward spiral into a life of crime .

Not true. It publicly advertises that you can get this guy jailed on hearsay. Would you like your neighbours to have that power?

The site above claims that almost half of them are broken, meaning that the kid in question goes to jail, that wonderful school where he can learn lots of nice tricks and pranks. Oh, what a joker he'll be when he gets out.

[Peadar]

I remember before I left England that they were talking about an ASBO being a badge of honour for kids. Anyway, I lashed "ASBO Badge of Honour" into Google and the page lit up!

Try for yourself and take your pick of the articles.
Here's just one example...

[Dodge]

YOu can anything with the internet....

[pete]

So let's assume for the moment that ASBO's are bad, wrong etc.

How then do you suggest low-level anti-social activity is tackled ?

Canning?

I'm as liberal as the next person but amazing the amount of people here defending scumbags rights.

[Dodge]

Its not that Pete. Its more a "If we let them do this, where will they stop" concern that some have.

My own concern is that this is total band aid measure and does not tackle the problem at all. Have they any figures for the amount of criminals who have not been caught or convicted because they wore hoods?

[Lionel Ritchie]

Canning?

I'm as liberal as the next person but amazing the amount of people here defending scumbags rights.

Yeah ...feed the fcukin' waahs to the dogs I say!!!

Oh ...maybe you mean Caning

[dcfcsteve]

Its not that Pete. Its more a "If we let them do this, where will they stop" concern that some have.

My own concern is that this is total band aid measure and does not tackle the problem at all. Have they any figures for the amount of criminals who have not been caught or convicted because they wore hoods?

*** NO-ONE IS ANSWERING MY QUESTION !!!! ***

GIVE ME A VIABLE, WORKABLE AND REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE TO ASBOS's ???

Here's a few quotes from that article Peader posted :

"This administrative device was introduced a couple of years ago to halt the growing level of minor crimes that now threatens to engulf large swathes of urban Britain".

"In the recent general election, this lack of respect for elders, and the street violence now blighting so many city areas across the country emerged as a major area of concern".

"This debate underlines the extent to which petty crime is sweeping Britain."

Theres the issue that needs tackling ! There are serious problems with anti-social behaviour in many parts of England and Ireland. The guts of the existing criminal justice system dates back decades (nay centuries) to a time when gangs of very young feral kids didn't make the lives of large numbers of their neighbours a living hell. However - part of the nature of urban crime has changed - perhaps irrevocably. Like everything else when faced with change, if the law doesn't adapt to reflect this it will fail/die.

ASBO's weren't just dreamed up as some Orwellian conspiracy, as some of the "where will this all end" theorists on here would have you believe. They are an attempt to adapt the criminal justice system to reflect the changing nature of crime. It isn't perfect - but it's the best solution anyone appears to have come up with to-date.

So the question still stands :
*** WHAT IS THE VIABLE, WORKABLE AND REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE ??? ***

[Dodge]

BTW I didn't say I was against ASBOs. I'm against the hoodie ban as it is total reactionary politics.

Like Macy I'm against the ASBOs in principle but when its close to home...