Tory antisocial behaviour action plan “too little and too late”, Cooper declares

Yvette Cooper has denounced the Tories’ antisocial behaviour action plan as “too little and too late” after the government announced a “crackdown” that it said would establish a “zero-tolerance approach to all forms of antisocial behaviour”.

Rishi Sunak today announced plans for 16 areas in England and Wales to be funded to support either new “hotspot” police and enforcement patrols in areas with high levels of antisocial behaviour or trial a new “immediate justice” scheme, which the government said would deliver “swift and visible punishments”.

The government said a “select few areas” will trial both schemes, with plans to roll out both interventions across England and Wales from 2024 following the trials.

The Shadow Home Secretary said: “This plan is too weak, too little and too late. Over the last 13 years, the Conservatives have decimated neighbourhood policing and youth services and weakened antisocial behaviour powers so they are barely used.

“There are still 10,000 fewer neighbourhood police and PCSOs on our streets than there were seven years ago. A few hotspot pilots is nowhere near enough to turn that around.

“We need guaranteed neighbourhood patrols and action in all areas or this is just yet more empty rhetoric. Labour will put 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat to keep our communities safe.”

The government said areas involved in the trial of the hotspot scheme will see an “increase in police presence alongside other uniformed authority figures in problem areas for antisocial behaviour, including public transport and high streets or parks”.

It announced that, in areas taking part in the immediate justice scheme, those involved in antisocial behaviour will be required to “repair the damage” caused to victims and communities, “with an ambition for them to start work as soon as 48 hours after their offence”.

The government said offenders will be made to wear high-vis vests or jumpsuits and could be made to pick up litter, remove graffiti and wash police cars. It said victims of antisocial behaviour will also be given a say in punishments “to ensure justice is visible and fits the crime”.

Announcing the government’s plan, Sunak declared that antisocial behaviour “undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home”, adding that he is “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,” the Prime Minister said.

Other measures announced today include giving police new powers to respond to illegal drug use, including expanding powers for drug testing on arrest, and a new reporting tool, to be developed over the next 12 months, to act as a “digital one-stop shop” where people can report antisocial behaviour.

The government also set out plans for an “antisocial behaviour taskforce”, jointly led by Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, to bring together national and local partners to focus on “addressing antisocial behaviour and restoring pride in place in communities”.

In a speech last week, Keir Starmer set out Labour’s plan to tackle crime, the second of the party’s five ‘missions’ that will form the basis of its next election manifesto.

The Labour leader accused the Tories of being “soft” on antisocial behaviour and reiterated Labour’s plans to put 13,000 additional police and police community support officers into community teams and to introduce new ‘respect’ orders, which would create a new criminal offence for repeat adult antisocial behaviour offenders.