"Booze ASBOs" call time on problem drinkers

Tough new powers to crack down on people responsible for alcohol-fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour have come into force, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced yesterday.

From today police and local authorities will be able to apply for Drinking Banning Orders (DBO) on individuals aged 16 and upwards who regularly commit crime or anti-social behaviour while under the influence of the alcohol.

Magistrates will be able to impose any condition they think is necessary under the "booze ASBOs" to protect the public from that individual committing further offences. This could include banning from consuming alcohol in public places, including certain pubs, bars and off licences and restricting them from entering certain areas.

The orders can last from between two months and two years and anyone who breaches a DBO is liable for a fine of up to £2,500. Offenders who are subject to an order can be referred a Positive Behaviour Intervention Course to address their alcohol misuse. Successful completion of the course may lead to a reduction in the length of the order.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:

"Tackling crime and disorder linked to alcohol is one of our top priorities and we have made real progress but with the cost to the UK totalling billions of pounds a year we know there is still more to be done.

"These orders will stop those people who are well known to the authorities, licencees and often the communities where they live, from ruining lives and will make them face up to their destructive behaviour.

"If irresponsible drinkers do not accept support, these orders will ensure that they face some very real consequences." Jeremy Beadles, Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said:

"We welcome steps to crackdown on those who commit crime or are involved in anti-social behaviour after misusing alcohol. Tough enforcement against offenders is critical if we are to change the culture around problem drinking.

"We support Government steps to encourage police, local authorities and magistrates to use the powers at their disposal to combat the behaviour of a troublesome minority."

Don Shenker, Alcohol Concern Chief Executive, said:

"Used as part of a package of measures to reduce alcohol harms these initiatives can make a real difference to safety on our streets.

"Policing of alcohol-related crime must go hand in hand with more robust measures to curb irresponsible and illegal sales and improved treatment pathways for dependent drinkers.

"We welcome the idea of positive behaviour courses to educate people about alcohol harm – these courses should be available for everyone who has been given a Drinking Banning Order. "

DBO Positive Behaviour Intervention Courses will be available across the country and will be run by a list of approved providers. The Government is not supporting these courses financially and participants will be expected to pay a fee for attending the courses, between £120 and £250, to cover the costs.

(DH) Government responds to Bradley report on mental health in the Criminal Justice System

The Government has today published its response to Lord Bradley's report on people with mental health problems and learning difficulties in the Criminal Justice System.

In December 2007 the Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, invited Lord Keith Bradley to lead an independent inquiry into diversion of offenders with mental health problems or learning disabilities away from prison into other more appropriate services.

The report published today has been welcomed by Ministers across Government, including Department of Health, Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families who recognise the need for reform in this area and the necessity for more joined up services to strengthen capacity and take forward this work.

A Health and Criminal Justice National Programme Board will be set up by the end of May to bring together the relevant departments covering health, social care and criminal justice for children and adults. The first priority for the Board will be to consider Lord Bradley's recommendations and develop a national delivery plan by October 2009. A National Advisory Board will also be established to ensure wider involvement from interested organisations.

David Hanson, Minister for Justice said:

"I am grateful to Lord Bradley for setting out the direction for the changes that we need to divert offenders with particular mental health problems away from prison and into more appropriate services.

"He has recognised the considerable progress already made in reforming health services for offenders. Prison health is now embedded in the NHS and delivered in partnership with the National Offender Management Service. We have also increased availability of drug treatment services. We will do more to achieve better outcomes overall, in the interests of victims, to better protect the public and further reduce re-offending."

Phil Hope, Minister for Care Services said:

"I welcome Lord Bradley's very thorough report and we now have a responsibility to make his vision a reality. People with mental health problems and learning disabilities deserve high quality health services to lead full, active and law abiding lives. We recognise, with Lord Bradley, that in improving access to these health services public protection remains a priority.

"Part of the way forward is to make sure that the NHS and criminal justice services work together effectively by improving commissioning, training and the development of staff. I look forward to working with the National Programme Board and Advisory Group to tackle these important issues."

Vernon Coaker, Minister for Policing, Crime and Security said: [DRAFT]

"I very much welcome Lord Bradley's review and the recognition of the need for greater engagement by health services and healthcare providers at police stations.

"We will use Lord Bradley's review to build on the existing good practice that takes place in many police stations as we recognise that early intervention of healthcare professionals can help reduce the risk of harm to the individual and minimise any dangers to police officers and others. It can also help disrupt criminal lifestyles and help prevent further re-offending."

Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children and Young People said:

"We want to prevent all young people from entering the criminal justice system, including identifying those young people with behavioural and or mental health problems that are at high risk. By intervening early to support vulnerable children and young people and working with young people most at risk of offending we can help turn around their behaviour and help prevent their offending. The Government has committed, following the review of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), to provide better access to support and information and make clear what is available locally to help meet the mental health needs of children, and help their families.

"We also set out how to better support young people if they do enter the criminal justice system and the establishment of a Health and Criminal Justice National Programme Board will ensure local services work together to identify young offenders who need further support."

MPA: London crime figures continue to fall

Commenting on the Met's annual crime figures, MPA Vice Chair Kit Malthouse said:

"These latest crime figures are good news for Londoners. I want to commend the Met for its determination in tackling those offences of most concern to our communities, in particular street crime and violence, with crime in London now at its lowest level for ten years.

"The success reflected in the figures is the direct result of the unstinting efforts put in by police officers and staff across London and anti-crime initiatives that we have worked hard with the Met to put in place.

"Overall, the reduction in crime is a positive achievement for the Met this year. Total recorded crime in London is down by 2.2%, 18,621 fewer crimes when comparing 2008/09 with 2007/08.

"Youth violence has also dropped, proving that the Blunt 2 strategy, which uses knife arches to detect whether people are carrying weapons, is working. There are 2,209 fewer victims of youth violence than last year. This figure also exceeds the target set for the Met by the MPA. The MPA sets deliberately tough, testing targets that will stretch the Met, but that we believe are fully achievable with a more focused and tightly defined use of intelligence-led policing together with more effective resource management.

"Most crime categories, apart from hate crime (including rape) and business crime, show a year on year reduction, with the overall sanction detection rate continuing to rise to 26.2%.

"Hate crime offences, domestic violence and recorded rape have all seen increases in crimes recorded by the police this year. It may be that increases in reported crime reflect increased confidence that the police will take such matters seriously, and the rise in sanction detections in this area though still at a low level, is encouraging.

"The increase in business crime reflects the growth of shop lifting offences and may be directly connected to the current economic situation in the capital.

"The MPA knows full well that there is still much work to do and we will continue to scrutinise progress to ensure the service provided to Londoners gets better year on year. The MPA and the Met will continue to work together to tackle criminality, achieve results and make London a safer city for all our communities. "

Notes to Editors
Total recorded crime in London is down by 2.2% or 18,621 fewer crimes when comparing 2008/09 with 2007/08. The number of recorded crimes remains under 900,000 for the second consecutive year.

With the exception of business crime, the majority of crime categories show a year on year reduction.

The overall sanction detection rate has continued to rise and stands at 26.2%. This shows a steady increase in sanction detections with the rate doubling in the last 5 years. Decreases in sanction detection rates are seen for serious acquisitive crime (-0.2 percentage points), residential burglary (-1.3 percentage points), business crime (-0.9 percentage points) and vehicle crime (-0.2 percentage points).