There are two ways in which Cheshire Police can deal with
anti-social behaviour. One way is by issuing an Anti-Social
Behaviour Order (ASBO) and the other is by issuing an Acceptable
Behaviour Contracts (ABC)
What is an
ASBO?
ASBOs
are
court orders which the police or other authorities
can apply for, which set down a stringent set of rules the person
has to adhere to.
They are in effect for a minimum of two years
and are designed to protect specific
victims or communities from
behaviour which has damaged their quality of life.
An
ASBO
can
prohibit a person from:
- Visiting certain areas
- Spending time with a particular group of people
- Threatening, intimidating or disruptive actions
ASBOs
are
not criminal penalties they are civil
orders which means they won’t appear on a
suspect’s criminal record.
However, if a person breaches an
ASBO
, they have
committed a criminal offence and can face a fine
or up to five years in prison.
In order to start proceedings to get an
ASBO
, the police need to know
about the issue. If you are being harassed or if your life is being
affected by anti-social behaviour, contact your Neighbourhood Policing Team and ask for help.
What is an
CRASBO?
CRASBO
’s are
criminally sought Anti-Social Behaviours Orders.
The aim of a
CRASBO
is to
protect the public from anti-social behaviour.
They are designed to encourage local communities
to become actively involved in reporting crime and anti-social
behaviour, helping to build and protect the community. The
difference between a
CRASBO
and an
ASBO
is that a
CRASBO
is
made on the back of criminal conviction.
The individual subject of the
CRASBO
will have a
set of prohibitions unique to the case to prevent
anti-social behaviour re-occurring and protect the Community from
such acts. This could ban the individual from any of the
following:
- Committing any anti-social or criminal acts
- Associating with certain friends/ acquaintances
- Entering defined areas in the community
- Entering certain buildings, shopping areas etc
- Leaving home after a certain time in the evening – curfew
If a person breachs a
CRASBO
is a criminal
offence. The maximum penalty is 5 years
imprisonment for an adult or a 2
year Detention and Training Order for
juveniles, 12 months of which is custodial
What is an
ABC?
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) are designed to help
people who have behaved in an anti-social way to recognise
what they have done wrong and stop the offending
behaviour.
They are a written agreement between the person
and the police or another authority which lists the acts the
offender agrees not to continue doing. They are mainly used
for children but can be used for adults - and although
they are not legally binding they can be used in court as
evidence. We have found that they can be very
effective.