The Ministry of Justice is hailing the widening of a ‘Rapid Deployment’ trial of Community Payback, whereby offenders carry out clear-ups of vandalism, littering and fly-tipping.
The trialling began in June 2023, in the Probation Service regions of Greater Manchester, East of England, Wales and the North East. Next month it will be extended to all 12 Probation Service regions, what the Ministry describes as a staggered rollout with two councils in each region, with the scheme being offered to further local authorities in coming months. The regions are: East Midlands, East of England, Greater Manchester, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, London, North East, North West, South Central, South West, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said: “Anti-social behaviour undermines people’s sense of pride in their communities and makes them feel unsafe in the place they call home. That’s why this government is taking a zero-tolerance approach with our plan to stamp it out. Our plan is working, with clean-up teams not only tackling the corrosive effect of such crimes but also forcing offenders to repay their debts to the very neighbourhoods they have harmed – cutting reoffending and making our streets safer.”
It forms part of the Westminster government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, as set out by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March 2023. The public can nominate Community Payback projects in their local area via a new website as part of gov.uk. Offenders can be sentenced to between 40 and 300 hours of unpaid work. Typical tasks are clearing of litter including in support of Keep Britain Tidy’s annual campaign, the “Great British Spring Clean”.
Meanwhile a Charging Commission set up by Labour, chaired by former Labour police and crime commissioner Vera Baird and including former Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Stephen Otter and former Chief Crown Prosecutor Drusilla Sharpling, has reported, recommending reforms to the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in response to Labour complaints that since the Conservatives took power after the Coalition in 2015 the number of days taken to make a charging decision have trebled and a far smaller proportion of crimes are resulting in a charge.
Yvette Cooper, Labour Shadow Home Secretary, said: “After 14 years of Conservative government, more criminals are being let off and more victims are being let down. The catastrophic collapse in the proportion of crimes being charged must be reversed if victims are to have confidence in the system again – and the police and CPS must both play their part in turning things around.
“This expert Commission found a breakdown in communication and confidence between the two agencies which is resulting in devastating delays and poor outcomes for victims. Labour will implement its common-sense recommendations to ensure the criminal justice system delivers for the people it is there to serve.”
