Rural areas such as Norfolk and West Mercia head the government's tables for the use of antisocial behaviour orders.
Both have issued a high number of the orders in relation to their population. They are typical of a Home Office list that shows ASBOs have proved most popular, by head of population, in some of England's less built-up areas (table, left).
A spokesman for the Shropshire division of West Mercia police said: "ASBOs have proved to be strong, effective tools."
By contrast Essex, one of England's most populous counties, issued only two ASBOs up to 30 November last year. A spokeswoman for Essex Constabulary said: "The ASBO is demand-led and there hasn't been a lot of demand for ASBOs until recently." She added that six ASBO hearings were due to take place soon, and a further 15 applications were under consideration.
Tim Winter, national organiser for the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group, said: "The effectiveness of ASBOs often depends on whether a police chief or council decides to champion them."
Source
Housing Today
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