Gordon Brown & Anti-Social Behaviour.

[flip_flop]

I'm all for stamping down on chavs and their anti-social behaviour and would support any party willing to do so - they are a truly horrible underclass - but how can this be achieved?

If problem families are moved, they will just be moving the problem elsewhere. Ditto the feral unemployed/unemployable who seem to just roam the streets being aggressive.

Clearly ASBOs don't work as they are seen as a badge of honour.

Cut/stop their benefits? - many in receipt of benefits have never contributed so why they should get them in the first place gawd only knows (probably a topic for another thread)

Short of putting all of them on the Isle of Sheppey (which is a toilet of unimaginable proportions), building a huge wall around the perimeter and blowing up the bridges, I'm struggling to see what any government can do.

So, is it going to be too little to late?

Any ideas as to what can be done?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8279701.stm

[jake-the-peg]

Firstly free up the police from this rubbish.

Most of these cases should be dealt with by community officers then only escalate the smaller number that dont respond.

Then an increasing scale of anti-social punishments back.

Curfews, reporting to parole offices ( I'm tempted to suggest at 3 in the morning and 10 in the morning - but maybe I'm just evil).

Thing is that all this enforcement costs money and parole offices are already stretched and everybody keeps shouting about cutting back the public sector.

So I guess the question is how much do you want to pay for it?

[flip_flop]

If it solved the problem, or at least significantly reduced it Jake, I'd be more than willing to pay.

[jake-the-peg]

Don't you think you should ask how much before agreeing to foot the bill?

;c)

[jake-the-peg]

Seriously though paying for it is another tricky point.

I live in a really quiet part of the country.

Do I have to pay to sort out anti-social behaviour in London or other cities?

Difficult to raise the money in places where this is most of a problem because they are often the poorest areas.

Funny link eh?

So along with the stick above - you need the carrot - giving kids places to go, opportunities stuff to work towards in these areas.

Guess what ? more money!

[buildersmate]

I agree with the principle of 'economic pressure' on such people. But it just won't happen. Some one will say: 'Oh, look as those poor little kids - they need some handouts', not 'Oh, look at those cr@p parents, no parenting skills whatsoever'.
Something around a Labour policy commitment to eradicate child poverty by a future random date, if my memory serves me well. Absolute drivel - I grew up in the late 50 early 60s and a bit of child poverty never did those around me (or me) too much harm.
No - this is a last desperate gasp by a PM trying to find something different to hang an election campaign on. It won't work and it is going to be a painful and slow death. Roll on the next Conservative Government in May, hey Geezer!

[tonyav]

This '' new labour '' government have promised clamp down after clamp down on anti social behavior since they got in, but nothing happens so i think Gordon will just make the usual '' new labour '' empty promises of ridding our streets of these chavs and street rats.

[mushroom25]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8279877.stm
as usual a case likes this brings forth the retrospective handwringing and empty apologies, but at the end of the day, "they" need the feral society, for the rest of us to be afraid of.
This starts in the schools http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/8267048.stm who all claim to have policies against this sort of thing - but it's just words, in reality the schools need bullies to be their police force.
QED nothing will ever happen.

[B00]

Firstly I'd make the process of children having children far less attractive! Child benefit standard for a first child and then significally reduced for each child you have either that, kind of like a sliding scale so that by the time you're on your 3rd or 4th the benefit is a bare minimum.

From a personal point of view i'd like to see free childcare for workingt mothers uptil school age and a reduction in childcare during holidays and before and after school hours. Hopefully this would massively help mothers, who like me have to work but find nursery fees almost beyond belief. Surely the tax from more woman working would cover this free childcare?

Pregnant under 16 or the father of a child before that age? Fine them heavily. It is illegal afterall. If they havent got the means to pay this fine- make them do voluntary work.

[Ankou]

whatever happened to 'hug a hoodie' ?

[ludwig]

'Firstly free up the police from this rubbish.' No surprise you live in a peaceful area Jake if you consider the kind of intimidation that drives people to suicide to be rubbish. What kind of thing should the police be freed up for? Do we need more of them out on the streets hiding behind telegraph poles with speed guns perhaps? Improving those clear up rates by concentrating on the easy stuff.

You're right these things do cost money, and dealing with crime is money well spent. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of either carrot or stick at the moment. People just left to suffer and get by as best they can, with the police looking on as neutral observers, occasionally being dragged grdudgingly into the business of helping the law abiding defend themselves from the lawless.

[VHG]

It is not only chavs who do anti social behaviour. Many middle class and well off kids can also be anti social.

I have read about ASBOs given to pensioners, and all sorts of other people.

But we certainly need more high profile policing on the streets, nip anti social behaviour in the bud.

I am all for more community police. Not so well paid or highly trained as "normal" police, but their presence will make people think twice before causing problems.

Most people are anti social because they know they can get away with it.

[rov1200]

Somewhere in the past decisions have been made that have created this current situation. The first thing is to determine what it was as without knowing no cure could ever be found.

I believe it started from the period when the youth was not punished for misdemeanours, the cane was abandoned, and authoritry was removed from the classroom. There may have been parents who were equally lax like today but they were admonished by the school teachers. Now that they cannot be chastised either in the home or at school they develop into these ferral kids.

We need to turn the clock back!

[buildersmate]

Steve - you are right - it was the previous Government of the day that started it.
But these current chaps have had 12 years to sort it, and enough is enough.
Remember the Windfall Tax on utilities? - it was used to fund New Deal for Young People - giving everyone a chance. Brilliant idea in concept - has it made a blind bit of difference? No - pathetic implementation. Answer, time to get the other crowd back in. QED.