New penalties to crackdown on ASB welcomed by Police and Crime Commissioner

Tough action to hit perpetrators of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the pocket with increased fines have been welcomed by Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster.

The Government has announced plans to increase fines for graffiti, fly-tipping and littering as part of an ongoing crackdown on ASB.

The new maximum limit is part of the Government's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. It will help deter people from harming public spaces and ensure those who do flout the law face tougher consequences for their actions. 

Anyone now caught fly-tipping could face a maximum fine of £1,000 instead of £400 while the maximum fine for those caught for litter or graffiti will increase from £150 to £500.

The Government has also announced plans to ringfence the receipts from fines to fund further enforcement and clean-up activities in impacted local areas.

It comes as the Commissioner launched her Derbyshire Action Against Anti-Social Behaviour Scheme, setting out a new hardline approach to ASB across Derbyshire and Derby City.

The scheme, set to roll out ‘hotspot' policing patrols in the worst affected areas and a new visible justice initiative, launched earlier this month after the Commissioner secured £4.4m from the Home Office. 

The funding enables Derbyshire to take part in two pilot schemes to deliver the Home Office's ‘Immediate Justice' and ‘Hotspot Policing' programmes.

Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster said: "I welcome the tough stance being taken by the Government to rid our communities of this unacceptable behaviour. I know residents will welcome it too. There should be no tolerance for it.

"Anyone engaging in ASB should face the full consequences of their actions. This type of behaviour causes a great deal of damage and expense to both the public and private purse.

"Alongside these new maximum fines, I fully support our police officers in Derbyshire to use the complete legislative tools and powers available to them to apprehend perpetrators and bring redress to victims. This is the response people expect."