‘IMMEDIATE JUSTICE’ SCHEME LAUNCHED IN UK TO COMBAT ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

The words “Muslim cowards” have been sprayed onto a wall at Thornaby Muslim Association in Stockton-on-Tees. FILE PHOTO

Mon 27 March 2023:

Under a government pledge to combat antisocial behavior, offenders convicted of crimes such as vandalism will be ordered to begin repairing the damage they caused within two days of receiving their punishment.

Authorities in the United Kingdom have prepared a new set of measures, including increased fines and enhanced drug testing, to combat anti-social behavior as part of a new “Immediate Justice” scheme launched by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, the government said.

“Under the plan, 16 areas in England and Wales will be funded to support either new ‘hotspot’ police and enforcement patrols in areas with the highest rates of anti-social behaviour, or trial a new ‘Immediate Justice’ scheme to deliver swift and visible punishments. A select few areas will trial both interventions, and following these initial trailblazers, both schemes will be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024,” the government said in a statement.

The new Immediate Justice scheme provides for recruitment of additional 20,000 officers by the end of March and aims to reduce murder rates, tackle serious violence, solve and prevent more burglaries, as well as to form a positive public consciousness, according to the statement.

“The public have rightly had enough – which is why I am determined to restore people’s confidence that those responsible will be quickly and visibly punished … This action plan maps out how we will tackle this issue with the urgency it deserves and stamp out these crimes once and for all – so that wherever you live, you can feel safe in, and proud of your community,” Sunak said.

In accordance with the zero-tolerance approach to drugs, underlined in the new plan, the so-called “laughing gas” or Nitrous oxide will be banned at a legislative level. This substance is currently the third most used among 16-24-year-olds in the UK and is commonly linked with anti-social behavior, the government emphasized.

In addition, the government will allocate funds for the creation of additional 43 youth centers to provide thousands of teenagers with access to state-of-the-art facilities and regular, out-of-school activities, according to the statement.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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