In south London, he number of disruptive incidents by street drinkers in Camberwell has more than halved after zero-tolerance work to enforce Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), according to the borough of Southwark.
Latest figures show that in May there were 72 incidents on the streets compared with 183 in March โ statistics which are particularly encouraging, the borough claims, considering that the spring and summer months normally see a substantial increase in this form of anti-social behaviour.
The turnaround has been triggered by use of ASBOs in a clampdown led by Southwark Council and assisted by Southwark Police, Community Council members, and local service providers such as South London and Maudsley, and St Giles Trust.
The work โ primarily carried out by the boroughโs Community Safety Team, Camberwell Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team and the Southwark Anti-Social Behaviour Unit (SASBU) โ has resulted in six ASBOs being imposed on those causing nuisance in the centre of Camberwell.
Four were granted by magistrates in March and a further two were imposed by Camberwell Magistratesโ Court on June 10.
Three of the original four breached their orders but were quickly re-arrested by the Safer Neighbourhoods Team. One was sentenced by magistrates to 12 weeks in prison and the two others will be sentenced in September, highlighting the fact, the borough says, that Southwark and its partners will pursue ASBO breaches and work with courts to ensure they are strictly enforced.
Of the two latest court appearances, one received a full ASBO for life which bans them from nuisance behaviour across Southwark and Lambeth, with specific conditions on the streets of SE5 where they cannot drink or be in possession of alcohol. The other has received an interim ASBO which will be in place until a full court hearing in July.
The full ASBO was breached within 24 hours and the person was arrested immediately.
What they say
Nick Stanton, leader of Southwark Council and executive member for community safety, said: โTraditionally, there would be a dramatic increase in street drinking during the summer months, but this dedicated work has led to a great improvement. The council understands that street drinkers need support from a variety of services and that is why we are working with organisations including the St Giles Trust. ASBOs are just one option, used when nuisance behaviour adversely affects other residents. But the message is clear. This action shows that we are taking anti-social behaviour seriously. This is not just a paper exercise, and local people will see the results.โ
A dedicated community safety officer has been dealing with street nuisance since taking on the council post in September, but will now be widening the role to cover a range of crime issues. Businesses and residents had complained that groups of 20 to 35 drinkers had been causing nuisance in the centre of Camberwell, most days of the week, over the last few years. These groups have now gone and there are only about half a dozen on Camberwell Green, Southwark adds.
