Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce new powers for police forces to tackle anti-social behaviour.
It is important that the police and local agencies have the powers they need to tackle local issues quickly and effectively. That is why we reformed the tools and powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. We currently do not plan to introduce any new powers.
The powers in the Act are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the circumstances. We keep anti-social behaviour policy under review through the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners.
It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to respond to individual crimes and local crime priorities but to help ensure that the police have the resources they need to do so, we are recruiting 20,000 officers over the next three years.