Stephen Morgan MP has renewed his commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour, as new analysis from Labour has shown that 1.2 million incidents of nuisance are recorded in England and Wales every year – equating to over 20,000 incidents every single week.
Labour has accused the Conservatives of abandoning local communities like those in Portsmouth and showing no leadership on anti-social behaviour for a decade.
Some 1.2 million nuisance incidents were recorded in the year ending September 2021, equating to 23,759 incidents every week, and over 3,300 every single day. When expanded to cover personal and environmental ASB such as drug paraphernalia, over 1.6 million incidents of antisocial behaviour were recorded over the last year – over 200,000 higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The Official Opposition wants to see local Police Hubs in towns and communities across the country, bringing together a Neighbourhood Prevention Team made up of police, community support officers, local authority staff and youth workers to tackle anti-social behaviour at source.
These teams would prioritise being visible on patrols, being easily accessible for local residents and would pursue serial perpetrators of ASB or low-level crime, as well as dealing with visible signs of disorder such as broken windows, graffiti, fly-tipping, or drug dealing. These teams will also support victims of anti-social behaviour. Labour councils such as Redbridge are already working in partnership with local police to introduce local hubs.
In September 2020 the Home Secretary wrote to the Victims Commissioner to express her concern about “the serious impact that persistent anti-social behaviour can have on both individuals and communities”. Yet there have been no specific reforms since that point.
Labour’s plan includes:
- New Police Hubs in crime and antisocial behaviour hotspots across the country to get the police back out into the community
- Neighbourhood Prevention Teams bringing together police and local councils and youth services to tackle antisocial behaviour that is blighting communities
- Stronger powers for police and local councils to shut down drug dens, and to keep them closed for longer
- A major recruitment drive to increase the number of special constables
- Giving victims of persistent antisocial behaviour the same entitlements including access to support services as other victims of crime
The Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, said:
“Communities across Portsmouth are being badly let down by this government.
“Nationally, total crime is going up, prosecutions are going down, criminals are being let off and victims are being let down.
“I saw first-hand during a night patrol last Friday with our dedicated local police officers how they are working to tackle street harassment and anti-social behaviour, but they need far better support from government.
“That’s why Labour would introduce new Police Hubs to bring neighbourhood prevention teams back out into our communities in Portsmouth. We need to see police back on our streets working in communities to keep people safe.”
