Asbo breach sixteen times.

Your coverage of the Cleveland Criminal Justice Board consultation meeting for Middlesbrough (Get Tough On Crooks, 16.11.06) focused on feelings of miscarriage of justice by residents, which is understandable.

Some concerns related to anti-social behaviour and at the meeting I raised concerns regarding breaches of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, given breaches are a criminal offence and the council and communities put in a lot of effort to gather evidence.

I was interested to hear 68% of breaches apparently lead to custodial sentences.

My concern, and that of our council's enforcement team, is that individual breaches are being judged - but that the cumulative impact for a community is often much worse.

For example one individual has been before the court for breach of Asbo 16 times within the last three years and is still at supervision order stage.

The thinking behind anti-social behaviour orders was to give communities respite from a small minority.

In Middlesbrough we have used them proportionately. They have been sought after various interventions, warnings, acceptable behaviour contracts, have been exhausted - not to mention a large amount of diversionary activity being undertaken.

Asbos in Middlesbrough have been successful in the large majority of cases, however a small number have lost their impact as the criminal justice system locally looks at individual breaches, rather than the cumulative situation.

We have recently written to the Chair of the Criminal Justice Board to seek discussions to find the means to bring all relevant information to where it needs to be, at the right time.

Our enforcement manager and myself are happy to attend a future CCJB meeting to discuss further with local criminal justice policy makers.

I hope we can make progress to improve further the effectiveness of all Asbos, in the interests of justice for communities, as well as individuals.

BARRY COPPINGER, Executive member for Community safety and Leisure, Middlesbrough Council