Clarke Praises Islington Initiative

1.21.34pm GMT Mon 7th Mar 2005

Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke has gone on record saying that Acceptable behaviour Contracts (ABCs) are a better way of dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour.

ABCs were developed in Islington as a first stage in dealing with Anti- Social Behaviour and have been adopted nationally. Recognised as a Lib Dem initiative they were developed in response to increasing reliance of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) by councils, which have a 42% failure rate.

C harles Clarke praised ABCs during the BBC's Question Time.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Jyoti Vaja, Executive member for Housing and Community Safety said

"This is excellent recognition for Islington who pioneered this initiative. ABCs are now nationally recognised and up there with ASBOs for tackling anti-social behaviour.

"ABCs are effective ways of dealing with local problems. They involve the council and police and can be backed up with tougher measures like eviction if necessary. We want to make Islington a safer place for everyone and will continue to use new schemes and innovation to achieve this goal."

Rt Hon. Charles Clarke MP, Home Secretary, said on BBC Question Time, 3rd March 2005

"The kind of approach which David (Davis) and Mark (Oaten) have described, which is better than an anti-social behaviour order, the so-called Acceptable Behaviour Contract, before you get to an Anti Social Behaviour Orders where a young person signs up with their parents or family and local people to behave in a proper way, which is a much better way of going about it, with the ASBO as a threat."