Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has said that Labour’s plans to stamp out antisocial behaviour from Britain’s towns and cities will bring confidence back to our communities.
Mr Morgan’s comments came after Labour analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed 30% of the public feel that antisocial behaviour has got worse in their local area over recent years.
The research also found that almost 50% of victims do not bother to report it due to a lack of confidence that offenders will face consequences.
Labour leader Keir Starmer this week pledged that “no-one will be above the law in a Britain that I lead, and no crime or misdemeanour will be brushed under the carpet.”
A Labour government would set up a bespoke new “Respect Order” to crack down on persistent adult offenders and will also announce new ‘Zero-Tolerance Zones’ to tackle problem behaviour in areas with high levels of antisocial behaviour.
With power of arrest on breach, the tough new powers will allow authorities to ban problem individuals from designated Zero-Tolerance Zones, and crack down on behaviour like street drinking in hotspot areas.
To enforce the measures, Labour will recruit 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs as part of a new Community Policing Guarantee.
These new officers will deliver guaranteed town centre patrols, patrolling ASB hotspots using hotspot policing (data-driven techniques to flood officers to areas where crime and antisocial behaviour is frequent) and bringing offenders to justice.
Commenting, Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Anti-social behaviour is not a low-level crime. It has had a long-lasting impact on victims and communities, and sadly has been on the rise at South Parade Pier, the Camber, and at many other places across Portsmouth.
“This is undoubtedly down to the fact that the Conservatives have halved the number of Police Community Support Officers since 2010, a vital resource to tackling anti-social behaviour.
“The next Labour government will increase police visibility on our streets to stamp out antisocial behaviour and bring confidence back to our communities”
Commenting, Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said:
“Respect is something I care deeply about. I served as Chief Prosecutor for five years because I believe those who respect the law must be protected, victims must get justice and those who flout the law must carry the consequences.
“The Tories have lost control of our streets. They talk tough, but look at their record, not their rhetoric. They’ve allowed antisocial behaviour to spiral, suppressing growth in our communities and undermining respect across Britain.
“With my changed Labour Party, Britain’s authorities will get the tough powers and extra manpower they need to stamp out the crime and disorder of Tory Britain.
“Labour will bring confidence and pride back to our communities. We’ll take our town centres back from the yobs. And we will bring respect back to Britain.”
Mr Morgan has taken a range of actions on behalf of constituents impacted by anti-social behaviour, including hosting a Cuppa and Chat for constituents to raise concerns, joining Police on local patrols, as well as lobbying Government for fairer police funding for Portsmouth. He continues to work closely with local police and the ASB team at the council to make our city safer.
