On Monday, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP, set out a plan to make our streets safer and restore pride of place. Tackling anti-social behaviour is an absolute priority for this Government.
The Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan reinforces the Government’s commitment to stamp out anti-social behaviour and restore the right of people to feel safe in, and proud of, their local area. The plan is an ambitious and wide-reaching new approach that will give Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC), local authorities, and other agencies the tools to tackle the blight of anti-social behaviour facing communities across England and Wales.
The Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan establishes a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour, ensuring people feel safe in the place they call home.
The plan will enable police to crack down on perpetrators with swifter and more visible justice, tougher punishments, increased fines, enhanced drug testing, a ban on nitrous oxide, a stronger policing response in anti-social behaviour hotspots, and new tools for communities to regenerate and restore local pride.
Under the new Immediate Justice scheme, those found committing anti-social behaviour will be made to repair the damage they inflicted on victims and communities, with an ambition for them to start work as soon as 48 hours after their offence so victims know anti-social behaviour is treated seriously and with urgency.
The plan sets out a radical new approach to tackling anti-social behaviour split across five key areas:
- Stronger punishment for perpetrators, cracking down on illegal drugs, evicting anti-social tenants and making perpetrators of anti-social behaviour repair the damage they inflicted on victims and communities;
- Making communities safer by increasing police presence, deploying tougher financial penalties for wrong doers, and keeping our streets orderly;
- Enhancing local pride by taking actions to revive high streets and revitalise parks and green spaces;
- Prevention and intervention through funding one million more hours of provision for young people, expanding the eligibility criteria for the Turnaround Programme, focusing on targeted support for children most at risk and working with delivery partners on National Youth Guarantee; and
- Improving data, reporting and accountability by simplifying and improving existing reporting structures and increased accountability through better and more transparent data collection
As part of the plan, the Government is funding immediate justice pilots and hotspot policing in a number of police force areas, with clear plans in place to fully roll out across England and Wales in 2024/25.
A targeted consultation was also launched which marks the first phase of the Community Safety Partnership review. The consultation will seek views on strengthening the accountability model of Community Safety Partnerships to align their work more closely to Police and Crime Commissioners, making sure they work together effectively to cut crime. Through the consultation, the Government is also seeking views on changes to the anti-social behaviour powers and tools to strengthen and broaden their use. The consultation will be published on gov.uk and will run for 8 weeks.
Tackling anti-social behaviour requires a strong and effective partnership response from all agencies working together and the measures outlined by Suella and the Prime Minister in the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan give the police, local authorities and other agencies a wide range of powers and tools to deal with every situation of anti-social behaviour that may arise.
Commenting, Suella said:
“Everyone has the right to live without fear of facing anti-social behaviour, to leave their home without fearing intimidation, to shop in a vibrant high street free from disorder and disrepair, and to use and enjoy their parks and community spaces. The public must trust that there will be action taken when they report the intimidation and harassment they face.
“It has always been my priority to give police the powers they need to deliver a common-sense approach to cutting crime, which puts the law-abiding majority first, and that’s what this action plan delivers.”
Commenting, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Anti-social behaviour undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home.
“The public have rightly had enough – which is why I am determined to restore people’s confidence that those responsible will be quickly and visibly punished.
“This action plan maps out how we will tackle this issue with the urgency it deserves and stamp out these crimes once and for all – so that wherever you live, you can feel safe in, and proud of your community.”
