Home Secretary vows curb on yobs

Home Secretary vows curb on yobs Press Association Thursday August 23, 2007 2:03 AM Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has vowed to stop anti-social youngsters graduating to crime as she expressed shock at the shooting of an 11-year-old boy in Liverpool. She outlined plans for a massive increase in the use of "acceptable behaviour contracts" (ABCs), telling the Daily Mirror that up to four times the present 25,000 could be put in place. Her interview was published as news emerged of the latest in a spate of gun crimes that has rocked Britain in recent months, a young boy shot playing football in a Liverpool pub car park. Tory leader David Cameron warned the country faced a "real and growing problem" of violence and anti-social behaviour and called for young thugs to be stripped of driving licences. But Ms Smith insisted Britain's streets were generally safe and dismissed his comments. She said: "I want ABCs used everywhere they can have an impact. It's saying we are not going to tolerate this behaviour whether it comes from adults or children. "We need to nip low-level bad behaviour in the bud before it affects the community and turns into more serious crime. "It's making people stand up to their responsibilities and making sure children are not out on the streets causing trouble." Saying she would judge her success on whether people felt safer, she added: "Britain's streets are safe but there are particular areas we need to focus on. "I want people to feel confident about where they live, and confident to go out and about. I'll be really tough and stretch every sinew to make this happen.