New analysis by the Labour Party has shown that a staggering 1.2 million incidents of nuisance are recorded in England and Wales every year – equating to over 20,000 incidents every single week. Local MP, Toby Perkins, is backing Labour’s call for action to tackle anti-social behaviour,

Toby said, “The Conservatives have abandoned areas like Chesterfield and particularly more outlying areas like Staveley in relation to policing resources. They cannot be trusted to protect our communities. Our local police and council must do all they can to address antisocial behaviour but with years of austerity, the loss of many police stations, a reduction in bobbies on the beat and the removal of antisocial behaviour orders, they have been left with a near impossible task.

I know from knocking on doors, and from the emails and calls I receive every week, that antisocial behaviour is one of the biggest concerns for my constituents. I have attended numerous town centre summits between the police, council and local services to discuss addressing problems in the town centre, and worker with local councillors and the police to address ASB in and around our local parks, many of which have become hotspots for trouble. But we need a proper plan from central government to address these issues.

The Tories have shown that no leadership on this issue and only Labour have a credible plan to address crime and ASB.”

The Home Office’s own internal polling shows that ‘only around a third (35%) say they have confidence in the government’s handling of crime and justice’. Overall crime has gone up by 14%, while prosecutions have fallen. Recent polling also shows that in England and Wales the percentage of people who say they never see a police officer has almost doubled since the Conservatives came to power from 25% in April 2010 to March 2011 to 48% in April 2019 to March 2020. Meanwhile, the proportion of people agreeing that the local crime and ASB issues that matter are being dealt with has fallen from 61% in 2012 to just 52% in 2020.

Labour is calling on the Government to halt plans for a Royal Yacht, which is being funded by taxpayers’ money, that the Royal Family do not want and would bring no advantage to the Navy, and to use the money saved to provide local Police Hubs in towns and communities across the country instead. That investment could start funding a new police hub in hundreds of local neighbourhoods next year.

Labour’s police hubs will bring 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.

Toby Perkins added, “It is ironic that we have a Government failing to act on antisocial behaviour, at the same time that it is revealed that there was widespread law-breaking in Downing Street during the pandemic. Labour’s plans will clamp down on people breaking the law, but also focus on tackling the root causes of antisocial behaviours.”

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