David Blunkett has reacted to Home Secretary Theresa May's speech this afternoon, in which she has announced that she will review the anti-social behaviour powers available to the police.
As Home Secretary, David put in place many of the powers — such as ASBOs, curfew orders and dispersal orders — which the police and, most importantly, put-upon communities, can use to stop people making their life hell.
David said: "As soon as I heard the Home Secretary talk about ‘criminalising’ young people – when an initial ASBO is a civil order – I knew that, sadly, the Secretary of State does not know what she is talking about.
“This may spring from the fact that anti-social behaviour in Maidenhead and Windsor is somewhat less of a problem than it is in major urban and inner-city communities, such as the one I represent.”
Read David's full response here.
"Eton scholars on the razzle"? Please don't resort to stereotypes for the sake of a soundbite. Windsor & Maidenhead have more than their fair share of anti-social behaviour. You're welcome to walk down my street in central Windsor on a Saturday evening and witness the joyriders and drunks. This is one of the many unfortunate side-effects of what is rather euphemistically - but tellingly - referred to by RBWM as "Windsor's night-time economy".
Posted by: T O'Neill, Windsor | July 28, 2010 at 06:20 PM