Drinking in public places is to be cracked down on by Rishi Sunak, in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour which could be a “gateway to more extreme crimes”.
Supping on a can of lager in social areas, such as bus stops or memorials, is a low-level offence that is set to be “quickly and visibly punished” as authorities ramp up their efforts to clean up Britain’s streets.
Under new rules, the police will be empowered to drug test suspects arrested under a wide range of offences.
Prior to the introduction of this legislation only individuals suspected of more serious crimes, such burglary or fraud, could be tested for drugs. However now anti-social offenders will be able to be tested too.
The use of nitrous oxide, known commonly as “laughing gas”, will also be targeted.
Mr Sunak recognises that at present laughing gas is not illegal as the substance can be used legitimately, for example in baking. However he is seeking to close loopholes that enable the gas to be abused and the UK’s social spaces cluttered.
Individuals found to be in possession of nitrous oxide in public could be arrested. At the moment laughing gas is only banned if it is supplied for inhalation, the Daily Star reports.
During last year’s Conservative Party conference, Home Secretary Suella Braverman referred to the work of leading criminologist James Q Wilson’s “broken windows” theory, which states that turning a blind eye to minor crimes leads to more serious offences being committed.
The Home Secretary told Tory members she wanted the police’s priority to be “anti-social behaviour.”
She also said the notion that cannabis was a harmless drug was simply not true.
Addressing the conference, she said: “The broken windows theory is something I’m a big believer in and I think we strayed a bit too far from that objective.”
Graffiti artists and fly-tippers, if caught, will face up to 20 hours of community service in which they’ll need to clean up their mess within 48 hours of committing their offence.
