10 October 2023 , 10:09
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With the scourge of shoplifting blighting high streets up and down the country, a former policing minister wants to bring ASBOs back - but do you think that will make any difference?
Hazel Blears, who served under Tony Blair, called for "radical" thinking to bring down the violence and abuse shop workers face every day. A panel at the Labour Party Conference heard retail staff are "under siege" and theft and security costs now add an average of 6p to every transaction.
Last year more than 342,000 shoplifting cases were reported to police in England and Wales, up from 275,000 12 months earlier. A retail chief said overstretched police do not even turn up to armed robberies, while security staff are often forced to release thieves because no officers attend.
If you can't see the poll, click here
Ms Blears, who held the policing post between 2003 and 2006, said: "Why don't we bring back Anti-Social Behaviour orders (ASBOs)? Unless we do some radical things to stop it [shoplifting], it's just going to spiral out of control."
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Introduced in 1998 by Tony Blair, ASBOs were in place until 2014. They were designed to address crimes such as intimidation, drunkenness and violence. They placed restrictions on behaviour using civil orders rather than criminal sanctions. They could ban people from going to a certain area and from doing things such as swearing or drinking in public. Breaching an ASBO could result in a criminal conviction, with a penalty of up to five years in prison.
So what do YOU think? Is it time ASBOs made a return? Take our poll above and expand on your decision in the comments below.