City's ASBO hall of shame revealed
A man banned from keeping a bow and arrows and a teenage girl prevented from being verbally abusive to or assaulting anyone in the city are among people slapped with anti-social behaviour orders in Dundee.
- By Graeme Strachan
- Published in the Courier : 20.09.10
- Published online : 20.09.10 @ 11.41am
The hall of shame in Dundee ranges from men in their 50s to girls as young as 16, all on ASBOs until either 2011 or 2013.
A request to the city council by The Courier under freedom of information legislation has revealed that the authority has obtained 38 ASBOs from the courts in the past three years.
A 47-year-old man was given a four-year ASBO in 2009 banning him from keeping a bow and arrows and from playing loud music. He is also prevented from banging doors or windows in his home, or shouting at, swearing at or verbally threatening residents of or visitors to the tenement block.
A 16-year-old girl was slapped with a two-year ASBO last year which prohibits her from "shouting, swearing or being verbally abusive towards any person within the local authority area."
She is also banned from assaulting anyone in Dundee and is not allowed to enter the Ardler Village housing scheme.
A 42-year-old man is serving a four-year order, issued in 2009, which prohibits him from having two or more people in his home at any time.
Others are banned from threatening neighbours, being in the company of certain individuals, shouting, screaming, banging, playing loud music, or entering areas of the city.
The figures show numbers have recently gone up in Dundee, with 12 handed out in 2009/10, compared with eight the previous year.
"Badge of honour"
Tory justice spokesman John Lamont said the reality is that, for some, ASBOs have become a badge of honour.
"The important point to remember is that the punishment must fit the crime," he said. "Crime and anti-social behaviour damage communities and the law should deal appropriately with this behaviour to ensure that victims are protected and offenders are deterred and punished.
"In recent years ASBOs have been handed out like confetti in a desperate bid to appear tough. However, the truth is that many offenders, particularly young people, have very little respect for the measures.
"This is why so many ASBOs are breached, rendering them virtually ineffectual. However cliched it has become, the reality is that, for some, anti-social behaviour orders have become a badge of honour rather than a serious measure to prevent reoffending."
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said it takes anti-social behaviour seriously and uses various initiatives to tackle "unacceptable conduct" including a dedicated anti-social behaviour team.
"The council was the first local authority in the country to be granted an ASBO and has continued to use these as one of the ways of dealing with problem behaviour and helping people in our communities."
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said, "Applications for anti-social behaviour orders are a matter for local agencies. However, crime in Scotland has fallen to a near 30-year low as the Scottish Government has delivered an all-time record number of police officers.
"ASBOs will continue in Scotland and we believe they have a role to play as one of a range of available measures."
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