Strong points include his description of court processes and how powers introduced to control anti-social behaviour work in practice. He’s good too on the way that drug gangs operate and the exploitative nature of their activities. Best of all is the way that the book illuminates the types of existence that many will rarely, if ever, encounter, and the frequent lack of easy solutions, even when agencies ranging from social services and mental health teams to probation, police, environmental health and even dog wardens can become involved.