Labour is set to bring in new “respect orders” to crack down on street crime that has been “corroding the fabric of our communities”, the home secretary will announce on Tuesday.
Detailing the policy at the party’s conference in Liverpool, Yvette Cooper will say the orders will see prolific anti-social offenders – such as persistent street drinkers, drug users or shoplifters – banned from town centres.
A phased roll out will begin in 2025, and while the orders can be issued by a civil court to speed up the process, breaching one will be a criminal offence.
Further measures set to be announced include enabling police to seize and destroy dangerous off-road bikes more quickly, replacing the need for a warning under the current system, and the introduction of a new standalone offence of assaulting a shop worker.
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Ms Cooper will also reiterate Labour’s manifesto pledge to introduce 13,000 additional police and PCSOs, with guaranteed local patrols, and a taskforce to tackle robberies carried out with knives.
“We know that security is the bedrock on which communities can come together, and on which the opportunities Labour has always fought for are built,” she will tell the conference. “You don’t get social justice if you don’t have justice.
“Respect is the very foundation of our democracy. Those Labour values are at the heart of all we do. And they are at the heart of our mission for safer streets too.”
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The home secretary will add: “Starting in towns and cities across the country where rising street crime has driven people from our high streets, corroding the fabric of our communities, this Labour government will bring in new powers on anti-social behaviour, shoplifting and off-road bikes and put neighbourhood police back on the beat.
“And yes, after years of Co-op and USDAW [union] campaigning, this Labour government will introduce a new law on assaults on shop workers, because everyone has the right to work in freedom from fear.”
