New powers offer hope over town centre anti-social behaviour
BBCStanding outside her town centre cafe, Sharron Foley says anti-social behaviour has become impossible to ignore.
Drinkers openly carrying cans, suspected drug use and street abuse have become familiar sights, she said, leaving some customers reluctant to visit her business in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
"It's not a good place at the minute," Foley said. "I don't feel the town is safe any more."
Her concerns come as new Respect Orders are introduced by the government, giving police and councils new powers to target people responsible for persistent anti-social behaviour.
The orders, which came into force on Monday, can be used to ban persistent offenders from town centres and other anti-social behaviour hotspots.
Courts can also require individuals to address the causes of their behaviour through measures such as drug or alcohol treatment, or anger management courses.
Policing minister Sarah Jones visited Newcastle-under-Lyme to promote the new powers.
It is a criminal offence to breach the conditions of a Respect Order and offenders could face prison, she said.
"Respect Orders are for adults, the people you see in your town centre that you know are persistently causing anti-social behaviour," the Labour MP said.
Chief Insp Cliff Goodwin, who oversees policing in Newcastle and the Staffordshire Moorlands, said the orders came with "teeth".
"That's going to allow officers to arrest people who are in breach of these orders, where we didn't necessarily have those powers with injunctions," he said.
That would mean individuals being brought before the courts and would "hopefully give communities a greater sense of control", he added.
Goodwin acknowledged Newcastle had issues with anti-social behaviour but said it was no different from other places across the country.
Foley said she had kept the glass screen installed inside her cafe which was brought in during the Covid pandemic.
"People ask me, 'why have you got it still up when there's no Covid about', but for me, it's protection," she said.
Although she has not experienced problems inside her business, she said anti-social behaviour had become a daily occurrence in the town centre.
"You never get to know who's there, you see them once, two or three times, and then there's another crowd of them," she said.
"There is a lot of drugs... and even people walking around with cans of ale, and I just thought that was illegal, they are just not bothered.
"The abuse people get in the street, you know, I've seen it a few times, and I daren't approach them to confront them, because it's the repercussions."
She said the behaviour was affecting customers, particularly older people, who were increasingly worried about coming into town.
Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) are already in place covering the town centre, local parks and public spaces, as well as car cruising. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is also consulting on a PSPO for Kidsgrove town centre.
Such orders give councils extra powers to address anti-social behaviour.
Council leader Jonathan Gullis called on people to report incidents.
"We urge residents to take the trouble to report every single incident of anti-social behaviour they witness as that lets us take action against individuals, target specific places, or premises," he said.
The new Respect Orders have also been welcomed by Staffordshire Neighbourhood Watch Association.
Its vice-chair, David Spencer, said the organisation supported anything that gave police and partner agencies stronger powers to tackle persistent offenders and address the causes of anti-social behaviour.
"In terms of connecting people, and people openly feeling more confident to report things, then hopefully this is all part of what we can do to tackle anti-social behaviour," he said.
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