The Kings Speech, County Lines Strategy Plan & Samaritans Awareness…
The Kings Speech Announces Labour’s Plans To Tackle ASB…
Last week, partner Janine shared a post on LinkedIn sharing her perspective on the King’s Speech with an insight into the proposed Crime & Policing Bill. You can read the extract here. but if you are short on time then this is what Labour are planning:
In The Crime and Policing Bill:
- Strengthen neighbourhood policing
- Introduce Respect Orders for persistent offenders
- Fast track Public Spaces Protection Orders for street drinking
- Introduce new powers to tackle off-road biking
- Mandate collaboration among partners to tackle ASB
- Appointment of ASB leads in each Local Authority
In addition to the Crime and Policing Bill, further legislation has been proposed which relates to ASB, including…
- Victim, Courts and Public Protection Bill: Support and rights for crime and ASB victims
- Renters Rights Bill: Abolish Section 21 evictions
New County Lines Policing Strategy Announced For 2024-2027 - What Does It Mean For ASB?
The new County Lines Policing Strategy 2024-2027 aims to continue the efforts from the 2019 strategy, to combat drug trafficking networks by focusing on these key areas:
- Increased Collaboration: The plan is for ASB professionals to work more closely with police and agencies for effective intelligence sharing and coordinated actions.
- Focused Prevention: Identifying and supporting vulnerable individuals at risk of exploitation by county lines gangs.
- Enhanced Training: Providing ASB professionals with the skills to recognize and respond to county lines activities.
- Community Engagement: Initiatives to raise awareness and prevent gang recruitment.
You can read the full strategy document here.
Darren’s Thoughts: This next phase of the County Lines Policing Strategy could be a pivotal initiative. The emphasis on collaboration is essential for effective intelligence sharing and coordinated action, and if implemented well could have a significant impact. We know that addressing cuckooing and trap houses is critical, as these practices severely impact vulnerable individuals and communities. The strategy’s focus on training and community engagement could equip ASB professionals with resources that can better identify and support those at risk… which could help with disrupting these networks. The big question is whether there is enough being allocated considering the substantial increase in drug related crime (as detailed in the latest National Crime Agency Report).
The Law Commission Contempt of Court Consultation Launches
The Law Commission has launched a consultation on Contempt of Court, which includes any actions that disrupt or interfere with the administration of justice, such as breaching an ASB injunction… a particularly relevant update for our sector.
The Proposed Changes:
The aim of this review is to enhance fairness, effectiveness, consistency, and clarity. Key proposals include:
1. Expanded Sanctions:
- Currently, the only punishments for adults breaching an injunction are imprisonment (up to 2 years) or an unlimited fine.
- The consultation proposes adding community sentences, including curfews, monitoring, and mental health or substance abuse treatment. Additionally, “Interim Coercive Remedies” are suggested, such as deposits returned upon compliance.
2.Introduction of Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs):
- Currently civil courts cannot order a PSR when dealing with civil contempt of court matters.
- At present, PSRs are not utilised in contempt cases.
- The proposal includes the use of PSRs, which would be particularly useful where there is a breach of ASB injunction cases, where there are concerns about the respondents mental health.
3. Guidance for Sentencing:
- There is currently no formal guidance for sentencing in contempt cases, leading to inconsistency.
- The consultation suggests the creation of a working group to develop comprehensive sentencing guidelines.
4. Improved Data Collection:
- Currently, there is no centralised data on contempt findings and sanctions.
- Introducing a reporting requirement would ensure consistency, fairness, and transparency.
The deadline for responses is 8th November 2024 – use this as your opportunity to help shape the future of how contempt of court is managed.
Read the full summary here
ASB Resources For You
Listen to the latest episode of the Housing Ombudsman Podcast…
In the podcast, Victoria King and Zoe Miller discuss the follow-up report to the Housing Ombudsman’s ‘Spotlight’ report on noise complaints. They review the findings and recommendations of the report, highlighting improvements seen in landlords’ handling of noise complaints since the initial report in October 2022. Key areas of improvement include better communication, quicker response times, and more effective resolution strategies. They also provide examples of successful changes implemented by landlords to address noise complaints more effectively.
Samaritans Awareness Day 24/7 on 24-7
Samaritans Awareness Day shines a light on the incredible work of the Samaritans, providing crucial support to those in distress. Our latest article by our associate Katy Anderson explores the impact of anti-social behaviour (ASB) on vulnerable communities and underscores the importance of risk assessments.
Katy is currently conducting a comprehensive review of these processes and is seeking input from professionals like you out in the field. Explore the strategies to address complex ASB cases that takes into account vulnerability and a harm centred approach. In the article you will learn more about the compassionate approaches to tackling ASB and find out how you can contribute your experiences of the risk management process to help shape future strategy. Thank you to Katy for this insightful contribution
Read the full article here
Janine & Darren’s Round Up
We know it’s a hectic time for news and announcements in the ASB sector with the new Labour Government wanting to move at pace with their plans (40+ new bills at the King’s Speech is nearly double the last governments’!). Keeping up with everything can be challenging, and we hope that these weekly updates help make things a bit easier and give you some useful insights. We’d love to hear what you think, so please feel free to share your feedback or let us know if there’s anything specific you’d like us to cover. We are very excited to incorporate a review and analysis of the first few months of government activity into the #ASB10 conference – with limited tickets remaining you should book on so that you don’t miss out…
Have a great rest of the week!
Janine and Darren