Mistyeyeddreamer
08-04-03, 09:50 PM
AN MP is seeking approval for legal hit squads to tackle neighbours from hell.
Birkenhead MP Frank Field believes that current anti-social behaviour measures are either not working or not being properly enforced.
Today Mr Field was launching a bill that would allow community prosecution lawyers to be elected in Merseyside's 16 constituencies and other Parliamentary seats.
Their job would be to enforce all legislation and ensure that all public nuisances and neighbour-hood thugs are prosecuted, punished and, in some cases, banished from local communities.
If after four years the lawyers fail to make their mark, they could be kicked out by the voters.
Mr Field hopes that his backbench bill will be incorporated in the government's own anti-social behaviour legislation being debated in the Commons later tonight.
Ministers have already accepted his previous bill to strip rogue landlords of housing benefit.
Mr Field said that the government originally expected that 3,000 anti-social behaviour orders would be imposed by magistrates nationwide. But last year there were just 500, 18 o f them in Merseyside.
The former welfare minister said: "This is about giving local people the chance to say, these are the sort of crimes and behaviour we want prosecuted.
"Anti-social behaviour is for most people the number one priority for action and yet that is not reflected in the prosecution rates.
"That is because the people who make the decisions within the Crown Prosecution Service are too remote from the people they are meant to serve and protect."
Under his bill the new community prosecution lawyers, each with their own staff and offices, would have to live in the constituency they cover.
At present the Prosecution Services cover regions on the basis of police force areas.
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100new...ll&siteid=50061 (http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12823893&method=full&siteid=50061)
Birkenhead MP Frank Field believes that current anti-social behaviour measures are either not working or not being properly enforced.
Today Mr Field was launching a bill that would allow community prosecution lawyers to be elected in Merseyside's 16 constituencies and other Parliamentary seats.
Their job would be to enforce all legislation and ensure that all public nuisances and neighbour-hood thugs are prosecuted, punished and, in some cases, banished from local communities.
If after four years the lawyers fail to make their mark, they could be kicked out by the voters.
Mr Field hopes that his backbench bill will be incorporated in the government's own anti-social behaviour legislation being debated in the Commons later tonight.
Ministers have already accepted his previous bill to strip rogue landlords of housing benefit.
Mr Field said that the government originally expected that 3,000 anti-social behaviour orders would be imposed by magistrates nationwide. But last year there were just 500, 18 o f them in Merseyside.
The former welfare minister said: "This is about giving local people the chance to say, these are the sort of crimes and behaviour we want prosecuted.
"Anti-social behaviour is for most people the number one priority for action and yet that is not reflected in the prosecution rates.
"That is because the people who make the decisions within the Crown Prosecution Service are too remote from the people they are meant to serve and protect."
Under his bill the new community prosecution lawyers, each with their own staff and offices, would have to live in the constituency they cover.
At present the Prosecution Services cover regions on the basis of police force areas.
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100new...ll&siteid=50061 (http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12823893&method=full&siteid=50061)