Homelessness could become a crime under proposed anti-social behaviour laws, according to a new think-tank report.
Homelessness could become a crime under proposed anti-social behaviour laws, according to a new think-tank report.
The new Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing bill includes powers to ban certain activities from designated areas – and The Manifesto Club think-tank claims new powers are wide open to exploitation by the authorities.
“There is widespread evidence of the over-use of existing powers, which are already too broad and have been employed unjustly to interfere with law-abiding individuals,” Josie Appleton, Manifesto Club director, said.
“The danger posed by these new powers is substantially greater.”
“Local authorities have made recent attempts to ban activities including: rough sleeping (Westminster), spitting (Enfield, and several others), begging (Aberdeen), charity advertisers (Islington), smoking in parks (Blackpool and others). It is likely that these much broader new powers will be used for initiatives of this nature,” she added.
As currently drafted, the Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) could be used by councils for actions including: banning spitting, banning homeless or young people from parks, banning begging or rough sleeping, banning smoking in outdoor public places.
11 Responses to “Is homelessness about to become a crime?”
gollikat
You have no idea what you are talking about. YES! It is Compassionate Conservatism you idiot Lib! Conservatives give more and do more for the poor than Libs every single year! Examine your socialist ideas.
nut
you are a fool. wake up
janlog
Please site your sources for such a sweeping generalisation, or is it just your strong opinion?
In this country our Conservatives are so compassionate they are known even by themselves as the “Nasty Party” that needed re-branding before the last election – and even then they couldn’t win a majority.
And here’s a heads up – they’ll be out come the next election because they are doing such a poor job AND they have abandoned all pretence at compassion.
Simon Saunders
No they don’t. You might want to try “Who Really Gives? Partisanship and Charitable Giving in the United States,” an MIT study on the subject, which found that the only difference is where the money goes, not how much is spent. Conservatives tend to give to church causes, liberals and leftists (they’re different things) to secular bodies.
ratso
UGLY STUFF! Examine your conscience or are you just trolling for reaction?