We’ve made great strides in tackling anti-social behaviour
over the last 15 years. However, this government is in real danger of both
making a mess of the anti-social behaviour legislation and of missing some real
opportunities to sort out some powers which are necessary to take action when
people and communities are afraid.
The latest example of this is that the coalition government
is planning to water down the powers to control dangerous dogs, despite a
growing number of attacks. The government is planning to axe dog control orders
in England and replace them with a general "public spaces protection
order" which covers everything from crack houses to littering in parks.
An all-party committee of MPs has criticised the move,
warning that merging dog control with other anti-social behaviour powers will
make the menace of aggressive behaviour by dogs less of a priority for councils
and police. An estimated 210,000 dog attacks on people occur every year, and,
in 2011-12, 6,450 victims ended up in hospital.
The current dog control orders cover all breeds, not just
the four specified breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Owners face £1,000
fines if they fail to keep dogs on leads in specified public places or have six
or more dogs per individual. In Scotland and Wales, there are new dog control
notices that can be used to order that specific animals are muzzled, but
Ministers are refusing to consider such orders in England.
The Dangerous Dogs Act covers only a narrow list of fighting
breeds, including pit bull terriers, and does not address the problem of other
breeds of dogs attacking in packs. Dog welfare charities say the government’s
proposals don’t effectively tackle irresponsible dog ownership and are likely
to make the problems worse.
We need tougher laws to tackle dangerous dogs, and councils
and the police need powers to deal with aggressive behaviour before it turns
into a vicious attack. There is huge public support for strong powers to tackle
the issue. It’s difficult to understand why the coalition government Government
is not responding to it.
