David Taylor first MP in UK to urge Minister to pick his patch for tough new antisocial behaviour scheme

David Taylor MP said:

“Let’s look at the data. According to official stats, in 2014, our crime rate was 48.90. When the Conservatives left office, it was 93.73. Despite the best efforts of our hard-working police, that is a shocking record that left drunken louts and thugs running riot across our community. I have seen this firsthand when out with police. With Labour in power, now its time to fix that.

“The government’s new Respect Orders give police new powers to get crime off our streets. I want Hemel to be at the cutting edge of dealing with crime and this is a step in the right direction. The Minister will be privy to a whole set of information that she will need to consider, but I have made sure I am top of her post bag offering to work with her to combat antisocial behaviour in our area. Respect Orders will be one tool in our arsenal, I am continuing to work with the police and residents to make sure we take a holistic approach to this problem”.

Nationally, Labour is prioritising crime. David Taylor will be fighting to make these national changes felt in Hemel. Respect Orders will:

The new Respect Orders will give the police and local councils powers to ban persistent offenders from town centres or from drinking in public spots such as high streets and local parks, where they have caused misery to local people. These will be piloted prior to national rollout to make sure they are as effective as possible.

I am asking for Hemel to be a pilot location. Failure to comply with Respect Orders will now be a criminal offence. Police will have the ability to immediately arrest anybody who is breaching their Respect Order.

Police will also be given stronger powers to seize vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour will also be strengthened, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing the vehicles which bring misery to local communities. 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.

This will ensure that the most serious offenders are dealt with before their behaviour can escalate and cause further harm.

The new powers will be introduced as part of the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, partially replacing existing Civil Injunction powers for adults, to ensure a wider range of penalties as breaches will be dealt with in the criminal courts, alongside the new power of arrest.

Existing legislation 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. Enhanced powers will complement the government’s commitment to restoring neighbourhood policing in England and Wales.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will bring back police patrols to town centres, recruit thousands of additional officers to neighbourhood roles and ensure every community has a named local officer to turn to.