Second police chief warns against heavy use of AASBOs

Oct 28 2004 Kirsty Buchanan, Western Mail

Barbara Wilding, Chief Constable of South Wales Police, told Welsh MPs (in the presence of Peter Hain MP) the best measure of success for ASBOs was not how many had been issued - but how few.

In the 12 months to the end of September 2004 in Wales, 112 ASBOs have been issued. In the first four years just 19 were issued in Wales and of those 58% were breached.

She said ASBOs should only be viewed as a weapon of last resort as she detailed South Wales' model five-stage approach to tackling bad behaviour.

Stage 1 : troublemakers are written to and asked to stop offending behaviour - with 3,049 being sent out between January 2003 and September 2004.
Stage 2 : Continued bad behaviour would result in a further letter and a visit by the police.
Stage 3 : A conference of police and other agencies, such as housing officers or youth workers, which could lead to..
Stage 4: An Acceptable Behaviour Contract.

Stage 5 : Only if that is breached, would a person then receive an ASBO.

Dyfed Powys Chief Chief Constable Terry Grange, recently told the Welsh Affairs Committee, that excessive use of Asbos risked unfairly targeting youngsters for acting like children.

CC Grange has won the backing of his South Wales counterpart who also warned of the danger of "demonising" the young in the anti-social crackdown.