Respect Orders are proposed by the Home Office; to give the police and local government powers to ban persistent offenders from town centres or from drinking in public; such as high streets and parks. Failure to comply with Respect Orders will be a criminal offence; and police will have the power to arrest anybody who is breaching their Respect Order.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Too many town centres and neighbourhoods across our country are being plagued by anti-social behaviour, be it street drinking, harassment or vandalism on the high street or noisy and intimidating off-road bikes terrorising our estates. Antisocial behaviour chips away at communities’ sense of confidence and pride, undermines local businesses and can have a devastating impact on victims.
“This cannot be allowed to continue. Respect Orders will give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on repeated anti-social behaviour, keeping our communities safe and ensuring repeat offenders face the consequences of their actions. We will also make it easier to seize the vehicles causing misery in too many neighbourhoods, including deafening off-road bikes or e-scooters ridden dangerously on the pavement. These new powers alongside thousands more neighbourhood officers and PCSOs will help this government deliver on our mission to take back our streets.”
As well as prison sentences of up to two years, criminal courts will also be able to issue unlimited fines and community orders, such as unpaid work, and curfews as punishment for breaching a Respect Order, the Home Office states. Or; rehabilitation, such as attending drug or alcohol treatment services, or an anger management course. This will be part of a forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, partially replacing Civil Injunction powers for adults. The Home Office adds that the law will be amended to allow the police to seize nuisance off-road bikes – and other vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner – without having to first give a warning to the offender.
Meanwhile in a speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Ms Cooper made the case for neighbourhood policing for local community and business confidence. Labour proposes an additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles. She spoke of a new approach to raising performance and standards across police forces.
She said: “Let me be clear – if you are a victim of stalking or domestic abuse, shop theft or street theft, burglary or car crime, you have a right to expect that wherever you are in the country, you will get a high-quality response.”
Photo by Mark Rowe: Southwark, London SE1.
