Anti-social behaviour, crime and policing

The government has announced that it is to introduce new legislation designed to:

• tackle antisocial behaviour,
• criminalise forced marriage, and
• reform the police.

The Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill contains a raft of measures intended to create new and simpler powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, make forced marriage illegal and improve professional standards of the police.

The Bill, which was outlined in the Queen’s Speech, will:

• reduce the 19 existing measures to deal with antisocial behaviour into six, more effective powers. This will give victims the ability to ensure action is taken and to have a greater say in the sanction an offender receives;
• encourage responsible dog ownership by making it a criminal offence to have a dog that is dangerously out of control in a private property (extending the current legislation which covers public places);
• tackle the use of illegal firearms by gangs and organised crime groups, by increasing the maximum penalty for illegal importation/exportation of firearms and create a new offence of possession for sale or transfer;
• provide the new College of Policing with the powers it needs to set standards for the police in England and Wales; and
• extend the powers and remit of the Independent Police Complaints Commission to ensure all serious allegations against police officers and staff are investigated robustly and independently.

In addition, the government is also taking action to strengthen the protection for victims of forced marriage by making it a criminal offence.

Please contact us today if you wish to speak to us directly about any concerns that you may have.