Richard Quigley MP backs tough new action on antisocial behaviour and town centre crime for people of Isle of Wight West as new Crime and Policing Bill launched.
The Labour Government is today introducing a raft of measures including brand new Respect Orders and action against shoplifting, as part of its flagship Crime and Policing Bill.
Respect Orders – promised in Labour’s 2024 manifesto and delivered today – will enable swift enforcement against persistent antisocial behaviour offenders.
The Orders come as shock data shows that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary handed down just 8 Penalty Notices for Disorder for Anti-Social Behaviour in 2023 – a fall from 3,777 in 2010.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s Bill also includes action on shoplifting, including introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker.
Labour will also scrap the Tory ‘shoplifter’s charter’, a law which deprioritised the theft of goods under £200. Stats show there were 15,092 incidences of shoplifting in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight around 290 per week.
Labour’s bill will also give the police new powers to enter premises without a warrant, enabling the police to search and seize stolen property swiftly which they believe is at an address.
Labour’s action comes as the number of snatch thefts last year reached 85,000 across England and Wales.
The new measures will be supported by the government’s plan to recruit 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles over the course of this Parliament.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary has been granted a 6.6% increase in funding to deliver the reforms.
Richard Quigley MP for Isle of Wight West, said:
“The tories were once known as the party of law and order. Yet, after 14 years of Conservative rule, our towns and villages have been blighted by antisocial behaviour. I know constituents will appreciate the firm action set out in Labour’s bill. Whether it’s street drinking, harassment, vandalism, or noisy and intimidating off-road bikes and e scooters causing distress, my constituents have had enough.
“Antisocial behaviour harms local businesses, impacts communities, and can have a devastating impact on the victims. That’s why I welcome the introduction of tough new Respect Orders, and stronger Government action on shoplifting is long overdue.
“The flagship Crime and Policing Bill is a crucial step towards delivering the safer streets promised in this Government’s Plan for Change.”
