Name and shame thugs

Labour will name and shame drug dealers and buyers convicted on our streets

Lambeth’s Labour Council will name and shame thugs and vandals who make the lives of law abiding residents hell. Anyone receiving an ASBO will have their name published on the Lambeth Council website, in the council’s monthly magazine Lambeth Life and in letters to schools, colleges and employers. The new system, being implemented in March of this year is part of Labour’s drive to get tough on crime and get the council to work more closely with the police.

Naming and shaming will make potential thugs and vandals think again before damaging their local community. The knowledge that friends, family and neighbours will all be made aware of anti-social behaviour will be an extra deterrent for thugs who can currently protect their anonymity.

Labour is also investing significant amounts of money to create a new, dedicated anti-social behaviour team. ASBO’s are proven to significantly reduce Anti-Social Behaviour like vandalism and intimidation of neighbours, but under the previous Lib Dem regime the process for issuing them was painfully slow. Between 2002 and 2006 the Liberal Democrats issued very few ASBO’s because they disliked the initiative being promoted by a Labour Government. Local Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes said the Lib Dems would continue to “…stick up for people’s rights to behave normally, as they choose and with their own freedom of expression, even if sometimes their presence causes other people some distress or alarm.”

Residents have told their Labour Council that tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is their top priority and that is why Labour is investing to dramatically speed up the process of issuing ASBO’s.

Mark Bennett, Labour Cabinet Member for Community Safety said:

“Naming and shaming those who vandalise their local community or intimidate their neighbours will be a powerful deterrent. Evidence shows that when people know that anti-social behaviour actions will be publicised to their peers, they are less likely to do it.”

“Creating the new dedicated Anti-Social Behaviour Team is a very important step for in supporting the police to prevent crime. Under the Lib Dems we were waiting for months and even years for ASBO’s to be issued. The new team will speed up that process dramatically.”

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