PERFIDIOUS ALBION

How twenty fours can encapsulate all that brings derision to politics and politicians but with one exception.  We will never know how many of the 2,001,926 “NO” voters were persuaded by Cameron and Milleband`s  last minute promises of change but already the caveats are set to obfuscate the actuality.  This apparent volte face will live in the minds of these people for a long time.  The phrase perfidious Albion comes to mind.  The only person to emerge with credit from this is Gordon Brown whose rousing speech in Dunfermline this morning shows a man changed beyond all recognition from the weak indecisive misfit who flunked calling an election in 2008 which he could have won.  I`ll be in Glasgow in the near future.  My eyes and ears will be more sensitive than usual.

NO SENSE OR NONSENSE

The last decade has seen almost a running feud between government and the police; federation or otherwise.  Notwithstanding the reforms initiated by Tom Winsor Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary  a position he has held since 1 October 2012,  the reduction in police budgets, the scandals of Police and Crime Commissioners and assorted Chief Constables and continuing  doubts over the accuracy of various crime statistics to many people the visible presence of police on the streets is what is required to assure them of public safety.  It has been consistently demonstrated that with reduced personnel police have to be mobile in order to offer rapid response to threats to  person or property.  Thus the ubiquitous moving illuminated Christmas tree AKA a police car in pursuit mode is an all too familiar sight.  Such vehicles cost over £40,000 on average.  With such a capital cost involved one might think that police would make maximum use of such a resource.  One would be mistaken with regard to Police Scotland.  In Dundee it seems a police car has more worth being parked in the city centre as a deterrent to criminal activity.  Placing life size cardboard cut outs of police officers in shopping centres as deterrents to would be miscreants proved to be a false economy as police found out in Essex and Gwent but at least these two dimensional  objects of ridicule could be recycled into something more useful  eg fuel for power stations or for their colleagues` target practice on the shooting range.  But it`s hard to believe the sense in leaving  a £40K police car lying around..........................!!!!!!!  

A full size toy would make more sense.

THE WORLD OF THE ASBO

For number crunchers and those interested in Anti Social Behaviour Orders feast upon the latest offering from the Ministry of Justice if you wish to peruse the statistical analyses.  The following summary is copied for convenience.

ASBOs issued

• in total, 24,427 ASBOs were issued between April 1999 and December 2013; the highest number of ASBOs issued annually was in 2005 (4,122); since then, there were year-on-year falls in the number issued between 2005 and 2012
• in 2013, 1,349 ASBOs were issued, a 2% increase from the 1,329 ASBOs issued in 2012
• in total since 1 June 2000, 86% of ASBOs have been issued to males; and 36% of ASBOs issued to juveniles
• a greater proportion of ASBOs (60%) have been issued following conviction for a criminal offence rather than following an application
• 25% of ASBOs issued on application to juveniles in 2013 were accompanied with an Individual Support Order (ISO); this is an increase from 18% in 2012 and is just below the 2009 peak of 26%

2. ASBOs breached

• of the 24,323 ASBOs issued between 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2013, 58% (14,157) had been breached at least once; of those breached, 75% (10,651) were breached more than once; if an ASBO is breached, on average it is breached five times
• in 2013, there were 862 ASBOs breached for the first time, a 3% decrease compared to 2012 and the lowest number of breaches since 2003
• juveniles have accounted for 42% of ASBOs breached; just over two-thirds of juveniles had breached their ASBOs at least once by the end of 2013, compared to just over half of adults
• on average, 29% of ASBOs were breached within the year they were issued; on annual basis, this ‘in-year breach rate’ has remained relatively stable since 2009 at around 30%

3. Sentencing for ASBOs breached

• of the 14,157 ASBOs breached at least once, 53% (7,503) resulted in courts imposing a sentence of immediate custody, with an average custodial sentence length (ACSL) of 5.0 months; a further 23% (3,200) resulted in a community sentence being imposed

PROLIFIC OFFENDERS AND THEIR SENTENCING

The sentencing of prolific offenders can  pose  particular problems.  When these offenders have pages of shoplifting convictions custody can be the only option when our duty of public protection is considered.  The vast majority of such people  owe their offending to a life blighted by alcohol and/or drug addiction.  In a rational system of health and justice the right of society to supercede the rights of the individual   to the benefit of both would be a no brainer.  Every government parrots the mantra of rehabilitation and the need to keep offenders out of prison.  Yet when it comes to dealing with those such as this woman we are like a swimmer splashing about in a sea of custard going nowhere but making a huge noise and spraying the goo everywhere.  Compulsory treatment at a drying out centre under strict confined medical control is the only humane way for the scourge of criminally funded  addiction to be controlled and eventually minimised and eliminated.  The Priory Clinic does it for those who have the money.  Surely the state has no less a duty to us all, addicted offenders and citizens of good character alike,  to do it for the common good?  Banning entry to Tesco`s or any other retailer is p****** into the wind.

SCHOOL (non) ATTENDANCE 2

On June 18^th I posted on the topic of a parent`s duty to ensure a child`s  attendance at school; a subject which has   been around for some time.  Indeed the previous Secretary of Education Michael Gove increased the difficulty factor for those attempting to defend themselves against such charges. 

It has now been reported that a mother was effectively found not guilty by colleagues in Birmingham Magistrates` Court of taking her daughter out of school without permission.    The case against her of failing to pay a £60 fine for removing the child was dismissed.  Of course this decision does not set a precedent but I sincerely hope that it will be brought to the attention of as many as possible of my colleagues who all too often have been reluctant to go against prevailing authority in many summary matters which come before us.