Respect orders to give police and councils new anti-social behaviour powers

Respect orders target anti-social behaviour

The government is proposing a new order, called a respect order, to tackle anti-social behaviour. Police, councils, housing associations and transport networks would be able to apply to the courts for the orders. The powers would cover behaviour such as unlicensed drinking in public spaces, drug use and general nuisance. Courts could impose restrictions including curfews and bans from town centres.

The legal test would be the balance of probabilities. An order could be sought where someone is engaging in, or is believed to be involved in, behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to the community. Breaching a respect order would be immediately arrestable, unlike a civil injunction. Persistent offenders could be convicted and sent to prison for up to two years.

Supporters say the orders could give agencies a faster and more practical tool than ASBOs. Shabnam Chaudhry, a former Metropolitan Police detective, said the key differences are the lower civil standard and the power of immediate arrest. She argued that banning a persistent shoplifter from a town centre could cut local shoplifting and free police to deal with other crimes. She acknowledged pressure on police resources but said safer neighbourhood teams are designed to improve local quality of life.

The proposal comes amid concern about police capacity and prison space, after 700 more prisoners were put back on the streets under early release. Ken Hines, chief executive of Communities Against Violence and a knife crime campaigner, said tougher orders create another pipeline into prison when jails are already full. He argued that the system cannot build prisons fast enough and that early release has put more serious offenders back on the streets.

Hines also warned that ASBO-style powers tend to be enforced against easy targets rather than dangerous offenders. He described the approach as policing on the cheap and a distraction from serious lawbreaking. He called for more community action, support for mental wellbeing and self-esteem, and work with families and schools. The debate leaves the central question unresolved: whether respect orders will reduce anti-social behaviour in practice or simply add another enforcement tool to an already stretched system.