Labour announces clean up squads for fly-tippers and rubbish dumpers as part of wider plans to tackle anti-social behaviour

Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary will today (Friday) announce tough measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.  

Speaking at Middle Temple, Steve Reed will say that we need “fresh thinking to tackle the tackle the scourge of anti-social behaviour” to ensure that offenders are “met with consequences”. 

He will go on to say that “anti-social behaviour can leave communities feeling broken and powerless. It leads to a spiral of social and economic decline that a Labour government will not tolerate.”

As part of plans to prevent crime, punish criminals and protect communities, Steve Reed will confirm that a Labour government would:  

Introduce clean up squads for fly-tippers: with tough penalties for fly-tippers and establish clean up squads whereby offenders will clear up litter and vandalism they have dumped. They will be given Fixed Penalty Cleaning Notices that will be managed by the Local Authority.  

Strengthen community sentences: Labour will increase and strengthen the use of community sentences, achieving a double win by tackling reoffending rates and giving a voice directly to victims and local communities. 

Set up Community Payback Boards: The party would also establish Community and Victim Payback Boards in communities where victims and community leaders would oversee community sentences to ensure they are carried out and choose unpaid work that suits the needs of their community.  

According to the latest Home Office figures, there were 1.1m incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by police last year, equating to 3,000 incidents a day. 

Speaking about anti-social behaviour, Steve Reed will say:

...“Anti-social behaviour can leave communities feeling broken and powerless. It leads to a spiral of social and economic decline that a Labour government will not tolerate. “As Justice Secretary, I will …
… it’s acceptable to dump their rubbish on our streets. We will establish clean up squads and require offenders to clear up litter, graffiti and vandalism. Those who cause the mess will clean up the mess.”

This comes as part of a wider speech where outline his plans for “end-to-end” reform of the criminal justice system. 

In the speech, Reed will update “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” with an approach that is fit for the modern world.   

To prevent crime, he will pledge that a Labour government will deliver “the world’s first trauma-informed criminal justice system”, deploying the science of trauma across early life, courts, prisons and probation to tackle damaging cognitive and emotional development that often finds criminal expression later in life. 

Together these proposals will protect communities by tackling reoffending, giving a voice directly to victims and breaking “the cycle of crime for good”.   

Ends

Notes to editors:

Steve Reed will be speaking at a leading barristers' chambers in London at 10am on Friday, 17 February. 

• 1.1m incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by police last year. 21,000 incidents a week. 3,000 incidents a day - ONS  
• Community sentences halved over the past decade - The Times