Bare faced lie

The government have said they are looking at getting rid of that unlikely badge of honour the ASBO. Labour of course want it kept, they seem to think it is/was a success, even claiming that crime rocketed under the Tories previous to 1997 and that somehow the ASBO fixed all this.

BBC.

Labour has urged the government not to scrap anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos), claiming such a move would "leave communities helpless".

Shadow home secretary Alan Johnson said the orders, introduced in 1999, had been a "success".

He accused the coalition of a lack of commitment to tackling crime.

Last month Home Secretary Theresa May signalled Asbos could be scrapped in England and Wales, with police adopting a more "common sense" approach.

Ministry of Justice figures show 55% of the almost 17,000 Asbos issued between June 2000 and December 2008 were breached, leading to an immediate custodial sentence in more than half of the cases.

But Mr Johnson insisted the orders had worked, saying: "Everyone remembers that under the last Tory government crime rocketed and anti-social behaviour was classed as low-level nuisance and not taken seriously."

"This time around, Tory Home Secretary Theresa May is wrongly claiming that Asbos don't work.

That quote seemed a little wrong to me, so I did a little checking and up popped the British Crime Statistics 1997 - 2002. as reported in the Independent.

HOMICIDE
Position in 1997: Murder, manslaughter and infanticide accounted for 611 deaths in 1997, of which 133 were carried out with a sharp instrument.
What has Labour done? Home Office has brought tougher sentences for carrying illegal firearms. Crown Prosecution Service is cracking down on causing death by dangerous driving.
Position in 2002: There were 858 offences initially recorded as homicides in 2001-2002, compared with 849 last year. May be revised downward slightly but trend is upward.
Verdict: A problem. Home Office minister John Denham admitted the figures were "an area of real concern". Number of men fatally shot rose by 41 per cent last year.
VIOLENT CRIME
Position in 1997: Violent crime was tumbling when Labour came to power. The British Crime Survey of 1998 shows that violent offending fell by 17 per cent between 1995 and 1997.
What has Labour done? After criticisms over falling police numbers, Labour has bankrolled recruitment campaigns for more police officers and has backed growth of CCTV schemes.
Position in 2002: Quarterly crime figures to last September show a 23 per cent increase (2 per cent when adjusted for recording changes), but the long-term trend is downward.
Verdict: Mixed. Since 1997 the British Crime Survey suggests that violent offending has fallen by 27 per cent. But large sections of the public remain convinced otherwise.
FIREARMS
Position in 1997: The use of firearms in crime rose during the 1980s and early 1990s, peaking in 1993, after which it began to fall. By 1997-98 it had dropped to the same level as 1990.
What has Labour done? Faced with frightening levels of gun crime, the Home Secretary has announced five-year jail terms for gun possession and a ban on carrying replica weapons.
Position in 2002: Gun crime offences have risen sharply during the past two years, climbing by 35 per cent last year to a record high of 9,974 offences.
Verdict: A major failure. The annual rise in gun crime was the fourth in succession and ministers are only just realising the havoc being caused by drug wars.
BURGLARY
Position in 1997: Improvements in household security had begun to take effect by 1997 election. 1998 BCS shows burglary offences fell by 17 per cent between 1995 and 1997.
What has Labour done? Labour has not prioritised this area of crime but has claimed credit as the effects of security measures have continued to drive burglars into other areas of crime.
Position in 2002: The BCS shows that since 1997, burglaries have fallen by 39 per cent. But recorded crime statistics show burglaries rose by 5 per cent in that period.
Verdict: Mixed. The BCS shows that there has been a significant fall in the fear of burglary as public concerns have shifted towards being attacked on the streets.
ROBBERY
Position in 1997: An area that was rising when Labour came to power. Muggings increased by 1 per cent, with 390,000 offences reported to the BCS between 1995 and 1997.
What has Labour done? The growth in use of mobile phones has helped fuel a surge in robberies since the last election. Anti-Street Crime Initiative introduced in 10 urban police forces.
Position in 2002: Robbery went up by 13 per cent in the year to last September. But the last quarter of that year had a 10 per cent fall compared to the same period the year before.
Verdict: Still a major problem. Robbery remains a key area of concern and although the overall numbers are falling, only six of the 10 big city forces hit their targets.

A Mixed batch, however the records appear to show in many areas that crime was actually falling in some areas under the Tories, particularly robbery, firearms and homicide and increased under Labour. So crime hadn't rocketed at all and Alan Johnson is lying and trying to kid us, When it comes to anti-social behaviour though a quick google produced these results

1. Anti-social behaviour on the increase - News - getreading ...

   21 May 2009 ... A surge in anti-social behaviour saw more than triple the usual number of 'yellow card' cautions being handed out to yobs in Reading last ...
   www.getreading.co.uk/.../2051144_antisocial_behaviour_on_the_increase - Cached - Similar

2. Criminality, aggression and antisocial behaviour - Second Opinions, UK

   1 Aug 2008 ... Criminality, aggression and antisocial behaviour ... degeneration — and, an equally marked increase in antisocial behaviour and criminality, ...
   www.second-opinions.co.uk/criminality.html - Cached - Similar

3. Big increase in complaints over antisocial behaviour - Press & Journal

   Big increase in complaints over antisocial behaviour. north-east communities made almost 1000 additional reports over 12 months. By Cameron Brooks ...
   www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1868075 - Cached

That's just the first 3, there are more, you don't even have to look too hard to see that Alan Johnson is being a bit flexible with the truth again.
I can't see any reason at all to keep ASBO's, they clearly don't work, it's probably Alan Johnson just trying to feed on peoples fears, but most folk I know, know ASBO's don't work either, they're just another layer to keep the crime figures massaged and looking down and give the appearance that something is being done, when it isn't.
ASBO's were a typical New Labour con, they were worthless, they were ignored by the real thugs and hooligans and were often handed out to people such as Edward Harris - A 76-year-old who suffers from severe arthritis threatened with "anti-social behaviour action" by Bournemouth council for allegedly slamming doors in his house (August 2009)

So, Alan Johnson, you're a liar, the facts speak for themselves.