Life on the frontline

I must question the sweeping statement made by the home secretary on nuisance ("Blunkett and Blair tell police: get tough on nuisance, or else", 17 October, page 10).

He seems to be saying: "Let's create more unemployment, take qualified housing officers with a dedication to – and a wide knowledge of – housing out of local government", just to satisfy a social disease that they are failing to stop spiralling out of control.

This is clear evidence of the government's concept that antisocial behaviour can be controlled by introducing a few new powers, a view that is idealistic but extremely naive.

Housing is not the issue – it's only the tip of the iceberg. What inspires tenants to litter estates with abandoned cars, openly flaunt drug and alcohol use and destroy the lives of working people by playing loud music and fighting is a deep social problem, one that housing officers cannot contain. Drug-fuelled youths will not be restrained by pieces of paper from the council.

Frontline housing management is a thankless task that needs a special type of person to conduct it effectively. So the statement "find a new career" is as pathetic as it gets.

I believe the prime minister and home secretary fail to realise that housing officers are low-paid, unprotected (no body armour, truncheons or handcuffs) and work under extreme stress. Even the police are finding it equally difficult to maintain law and order on the estates. Their resources fail to provide sufficient support to area housing teams.

We will continue to do our jobs, follow the guidelines and root out the perpetrators to the best of our ability. However, I predict the problems will escalate and Tony Blair's "new powers" will have little impact.