New Respect Orders come into force today, giving police and councils stronger enforcement powers against adult offenders behaving anti-socially across the UK. The government has announced that courts can now ban offenders from town centres or stop them drinking in public hotspots such as high streets and local parks.
What Respect Orders allow
The orders, also described as 'adult ASBOs', mean courts can hand out unlimited fines or tough community punishments, including curfews or hours of volunteering. Offenders can also be ordered by the courts to tackle the root causes of their behaviour, from drug or alcohol treatment to anger management courses, to stop repeated incidents from occurring.
The government has confirmed that breaching a Respect Order would be a criminal offence, with police able to arrest anyone who ignores the rules. Those who flout an order could face up to 2 years' jail time.
Who can apply and how it works
As well as police and local councils, a range of authorities can apply for a Respect Order, including landlords for housing associations and transport networks. In its announcement on Monday, the government confirmed that Respect Orders will be uploaded to the Police National Computer, meaning that where someone is committing anti-social behaviour, police can check if one is in place and arrest them for breaching their conditions.
To receive a Respect Order, the perpetrator must have engaged in, or threatened to engage in, conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress. This broad description means a wide range of behaviour could be captured.
Official responses
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Unchecked, anti-social behaviour blights our communities. But it is not inevitable and I won't accept it. For too long, we have lacked the powers we need to deal with this problem properly. From today, that changes: authorities will be able to take tough action against these offenders."
Ms Mahmood continued: "This delivers on a commitment we made to the British people in our manifesto. And, most importantly, those who make life a misery for others will now face the consequences of their actions."
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Akehurst, National Police Chiefs' Council lead for anti-social behaviour, said: "We welcome the new legislation to introduce Respect Orders which will provide police and partner agencies additional tools to tackle anti-social behaviour which we know can so often undermine a sense of safety in communities, erode pride in neighbourhoods, and diminish overall quality of life.
"This new tool will enable swift enforcement against prolific offenders, while prioritising rehabilitation and support to break cycles of criminal and anti-social behaviour. We have been working closely with the Home Office and College of Policing to support the implementation of these new measures and developed operational guidance to assist frontline officers in readiness for their implementation."
Respect Orders replace civil injunctions for adult offenders and give police stronger enforcement powers, including the ability to arrest anyone who breaches an order.
