The Seattle Times: Nation & World: British "Happy slappers" run wild
The Seattle Times: Nation & World: British "Happy slappers" run wild
The government's main weapon against yobbery is the ASBO. An acronym for "anti-social behavior order," it is a civil order obtained from a court that prohibits a person from engaging in narrowly defined activities that are not necessarily criminal but are anti-social.
A neighbor who habitually throws loud drunken parties might be slapped with an ASBO that sharply curtails the number of guests allowed on the premises after 9 p.m. People who violate an ASBO can be jailed.
Process streamlined
At first, the process of obtaining an ASBO was slow and costly. Only 600 were issued in the first three years of the program. But the process has been streamlined, and last year 2,600 ASBOs were issued.
Some community activists say the targeted use of ASBOs has been an effective crime-stopper, but others point to abuses.
In one well-publicized case earlier this year, a woman from Bath who had tried repeatedly to commit suicide was issued an ASBO that prohibits her from going near rivers, bridges, train lines and tall buildings. A woman in Scotland got an ASBO to stop her from answering the front door in her bra and panties.
The problem, according civil libertarians, is that ASBOs allow people to be jailed for activities that are not crimes, such as using foul language or answering the door in one's underwear.
On the contrary, if you don't like to see her in her undies, just don't ring her bell!
The government's main weapon against yobbery is the ASBO. An acronym for "anti-social behavior order," it is a civil order obtained from a court that prohibits a person from engaging in narrowly defined activities that are not necessarily criminal but are anti-social.
A neighbor who habitually throws loud drunken parties might be slapped with an ASBO that sharply curtails the number of guests allowed on the premises after 9 p.m. People who violate an ASBO can be jailed.
Process streamlined
At first, the process of obtaining an ASBO was slow and costly. Only 600 were issued in the first three years of the program. But the process has been streamlined, and last year 2,600 ASBOs were issued.
Some community activists say the targeted use of ASBOs has been an effective crime-stopper, but others point to abuses.
In one well-publicized case earlier this year, a woman from Bath who had tried repeatedly to commit suicide was issued an ASBO that prohibits her from going near rivers, bridges, train lines and tall buildings. A woman in Scotland got an ASBO to stop her from answering the front door in her bra and panties.
The problem, according civil libertarians, is that ASBOs allow people to be jailed for activities that are not crimes, such as using foul language or answering the door in one's underwear.
On the contrary, if you don't like to see her in her undies, just don't ring her bell!
Comments