‘Orders are vital tool in tackling reoffending’ says Southend officer

Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) were introduced in 2014 and gave criminal courts new powers to restrict the defendant’s behaviour which has led to the offence being committed.

Whether it be antisocial activities like street-drinking or aggressive begging or the more serious violent or predatory behaviour that leads to harassment or threatening conduct, the CBO makes it a more serious offence to continue in that way.

Temp Insp Ian Hughes, of Southend police, said: “CBOs can be effective on offenders who commit many crime types. They can range from excluding individuals from locations, prevent offenders from possessing certain items, riding push bikes or even being a passenger in a car – the list goes on.

“However, prohibition will always be linked to their offending. Positive requirements are an excellent way to support and turn offenders away from alcohol or substance misuse which may be a driver of their offending.

“We are making full use of these relatively new powers and breaching a CBO often carries a far more serious penalty than a standalone offence – offenders have frequently received custodial sentences.”

Southend’s policing team has recently used the CBO to address the problem of aggressive begging in the high street, and a London drug dealer was banned from entering Southend after being convicted.

In January of this year, the Southend policing team handed out 15 CBOs to different offenders in a bid to make the town centre feel like a safer place.

Despite concerns from the community that they were used to target and punish homeless people, the police and the council insisted they were only used to punish genuine offenders.

Councillor Tony Cox, representative for housing, said: “There are no plans to target those who are genuinely homeless and in need of help. Those who refuse offers of help and engage in anti-social behaviour such as professional begging in the High Street can be dealt with through enforcement measures such as criminal behaviour orders issued and enforced by the police.”

In March, Mark Pearson, 47, of Balmoral Road, Westcliff, was jailed for breaching a CBO after he was spotted begging outside the Co-Op in Hamlet Court Road.

Councillor Mark Flewitt added: “CBOs are definitely effective for enforcement of better behaviour but, as with the result of any similar court order, they can only ever really be as effective as the people who are obeying them.

“In many cases, for example with aggressive begging, the orders are often put in place alongside schemes that are intended to help – such as assistance with finding housing – and it is up to the individual in question as to whether or not they will accept that help.

“There is only so much that we as a council can do to help somebody and when they are vulnerable, these CBOs do allow us that opportunity that we wouldn’t otherwise have with a custodial sentence.”

Last week, the Echo reported how two offenders had been handed CBOs after some disturbing incidents in the Castle Point and Rochford district.

Barrie Miles, 37, of Northern Avenue, Benfleet, was handed a five-year CBO which prevented him from loitering around Castle Point schools after he was convicted of harassing three young girls near a park. The order also bans him from speaking to any lone girl under the age of 18 and using any language or behaviour likely to cause distress to underage girls.

Jack Griffiths, 20, of Warwick Gardens, Rayleigh, was convicted of exposing his genitals to three women while in his car and was handed a CBO which prevented him from approaching lone women or girls while he is alone in his vehicle.

Temp Insp Hughes insists CBOs are essential when addressing defendants’ reoffending. He said: “CBOs are only applied for in cases where there is a substantial history of offending and placing prohibitions and positive requirements are absolutely necessary.”