Respect Orders launch targeting anti-social behaviour offenders

The government’s flagship Respect Order enables police and councils to take stronger enforcement action against relentless adult offenders of anti-social behaviour. 

Courts can ban offenders from town centres or stop them drinking in public hotspots such as high streets and local parks. 

They can also hand out unlimited fines and tough community punishments, including curfews or hours of volunteering. 

Offenders can also be ordered by the courts to tackle the root causes of their behaviour, from drug or alcohol treatment to anger management courses, instead of simply returning them to the streets to start the cycle again.  

A wide range of authorities can apply for a Respect Order, including landlords for housing associations and transport networks, in addition to police and local councils. 

Breaching a Respect Order would be a criminal offence, with police able to arrest anyone who ignores the rules. Those who flout an order could face up to 2 years’ jail time. 

Unchecked, anti-social behaviour blights our communities. But it is not inevitable and I won’t accept it.  

For too long, we have lacked the powers we need to deal with this problem properly. From today, that changes: authorities will be able to take tough action against these offenders.  

This delivers on a commitment we made to the British people in our manifesto. And, most importantly, those who make life a misery for others will now face the consequences of their actions.

Respect Orders will be uploaded to the Police National Computer, so where someone is committing anti-social behaviour, police can check to see if one is in place and arrest them for breaching their conditions. 

To receive a Respect Order, the perpetrator must have engaged in, or threatened to engage in, conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. This broad description means a wide range of behaviour could be captured.