Louise Haigh MP has welcomed tough new action on antisocial behaviour and town centre crime for the people of Sheffield Heeley.

The Government is introducing a raft of measures including brand new Respect Orders and action against shoplifting, as part of its flagship Crime and Policing Bill.

Respect Orders will enable swift enforcement against persistent antisocial behaviour offenders.

The Orders come as shocking data shows that South Yorkshire Police Force handed down just 149 Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) for ASB in 2023 – a fall of -97% from 2010, when 5,733 PNDs were issued.

The Bill also includes action on shoplifting, including introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker.

The government will also scrap the Tory ‘shoplifter’s charter’, a law which deprioritised the theft of goods under £200. Stats show there were 15,142 incidences of shoplifting in South Yorkshire, around 291 per week.

The Government’s bill will also give the police new powers to enter premises without a warrant, enabling the police to search and seize stolen property swiftly which they believe is at an address.

Government action comes as the number of snatch thefts last year reached 85,000 across England and Wales.

The new measures will be supported by the government’s plan to recruit 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles over the course of this Parliament.

South Yorkshire Police has been granted a 6.5% increase in funding to deliver the reforms. 

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, said:

“I am contacted by local residents far too often who are suffering from the blight of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.  From off-road bikes to vandalism and intimidating behaviour, people just don’t feel it’s taken seriously and too often its victims that feel they have to leave their homes rather than proper action taken against the perpetrators.

“That’s why I’m proud that this Government is taking real action. These new Respect Orders will mean repeat offenders can no longer get away with blighting our neighbourhoods, and tackling shoplifting will make a real difference for our local businesses and workers. People deserve to feel safe in their communities, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure they do.”