Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 has one aim which is to make provision in connection with anti-social behaviour. The main provisions of The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 are as followed: The first provision is to widen the use of antisocial behaviour orders, otherwise known as asbos. The second provision is to allow local authorities, registered social landlords and the British Transport police to apply for asbos. The third allows police and community support officers to issue dispersal orders to any group of two or more people. This can be used within a designated area, whose behaviour they believe is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to members of the public. If anyone in the group start to or continue to refuse to leave or start returning to the area before the time of return that has been stated constitutes a criminal offence and can lead to be the suspects being arrested. The commencement is in force & it’s status is current legislation.

Another provision is to grant police officers the power to order young people under the age of 16 to return home after 9pm. If this is breached, then it can lead to the suspect being arrested and possibly can be taken further if repeated to many times. The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 also creates on-the-spot fines for noise, graffiti and truancy commited by any person under the age of 18. This Act also creates closure orders. One of the closure orders is quickly nicknamed the crack house closure order. This provision enables the police to shut every premises used for the supply or for the deals and can also enable the use or production of class A drugs for a period of up to six months. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 amends the definition of public assembly in Section 16 of the Public Order Act 1986 so that instead of 20 people being required to constitute an assembly, only two people are needed.

In March 2003 the government published a white paper that outlined its proposals for tackling antisocial behaviour. The report known as respect and responsibility - taking a stand against antisocial behaviour and recommended the government provides local authorities and the police with a wider, more flexible range of powers to tackle nuisance crime and low-level criminality. It was introduced by the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, who described it as a yobbish minority who could make the lives of hard-working citizens a living hell and includes a wide range of sanctions such as parenting orders and contracts, curfews, and fixed penalty notices. The act also strengthened and extended the application of antisocial behaviour orders first introduced in England, Scotland and Wales by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This was when it was identified as the Royal Assent.

Like all of the acts and legislations before it is made a law, it has to go to Parliament to be discussed. This process is very simple. When it goes through Parliament, it has to firstly go to the House of Commons (HoC) to be discussed. Once it has been discussed in the HoC and everyone is in agreement, it then gets passed to the House of Lords (HoL) for them to discuss it. Once they have all discussed it, if they’re happy with it and are all in agreement, it then goes to the Monarchy to be agreed and made a National law, also known as a Royal Assent. However, if it is not agreed in the House of Lords, then it is sent back to the House of Commons with a message on the lines of ‘not agreed, try another suggestion’.

The responsible department for the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 is the Home Office where the Home Secretary Margaret Thatcher is in charge of keeping the act continuous and successful. Even though the Home Office is responsible for the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, it originates from the House of Commons. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 was first introduced to the House of Commons in January 2004, followed by the second reading on 19th January 2004 which is then followed by the committee stage on 27th January 2004. The report and third reading was then on 24th June 2004. Finally, the consideration & Lords amendments on 17th November 2004.

It was introduced to the House of Lords on 24th June 2003, once it was introduced to the House of Lords, it then went to a second reading on the 18th July 2003. It then followed onto the committee stage which took place on the 11th September 2003, 17th September 2003 & 7th October 2003. Once the committee stage was finished, it then went on to the report stage which took part on the 23rd October 2003 and the 3rd November 2003. Once the report stage took place, the House of Lords then held the third reading on 12th November 2003. It then became a Royal Assent on 20th November 2003. The following things are set out to show what the United Kingdom police class as anti-social behaviour:

Substance misuse such as glue sniffing; Drinking alcohol on the streets; Problems related to animals such as not properly restraining animals in public places; Begging; Prostitution related activity such as curb crawling and loitering; Abandoned vehicles that may or may not be stolen; Vehicle nuisance such as cruises – revving car engines, racing, wheel spinning and horn sounding; Noise coming from business or industry; Noise coming from alarms; Noise coming from pubs and clubs; Environmental damage such as graffiti and littering; Inappropriate use of fireworks such as using them dangerously; Inappropriate use of public space such as disputes among neighbours, rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour also in the street or any public place; General drunken behaviour which is rowdy or inconsiderate; Hoax calls to the emergency services; Pubs or clubs serving alcohol after closing hours; Malicious communication such as threatening or swearing; Hate incidents where abuse involves race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability commonly known as discrimination; Firearms incidents such as use of an imitation weapon for example; stabbings, shootings or threating behaviour with an assist of a lethal weapon.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 seems to be working in certain circumstances and in only certain situations. In this day and age, if you tell a youth, let alone a group of two or more to clear/disperse from the area they’re currently in, they will end up coming back the next day or two unless there are police officers in the same area every day like there is in Woolwich SE18: if Woolwich Safer Neighbourhood Team, Safer Transport Team or just a regular on the beat Police Officer disperses a group of two or more, if the group then returns before their due date to return to the area, the police will be able to identify them and disperse them once again or possibly take it further. To improve the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, more police officers could be put out in the area where groups of two or more have been dispersed to make sure that they do not come back until their due date for return.

The most funniest and weird law is in Turkey where it states: the just in case law - All drivers must carry a hygienic body bag suitable for carrying a body up to 18st 12lbs (120 kilos). Failure to do so will result in a fine and possible a 6 month jail sentence. I find this funny as well as weird because it doesn’t seem legit enough to be true. In the United Kingdom or United States, if you have such a body bag, you will be under suspicion and possibly arrested on suspicion of murder by a police officer.