Home Office: Crime and Security Bill receives Royal Assent

09 Apr 10

The Home Office today confirmed that the Crime and Security Bill has received Royal Assent. Brian Sims reports.

The Crime and Security Bill was introduced by Home Secretary Alan Johnson in the House of Commons on 19 November 2009, and published on 20 November 2009. The Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 29 March, and has now received Royal Assent to become an Act of Parliament.

When its contents were first unveiled, the Bill included plans to:

extend injunctions for violent gang members to under 18s to help them out of the violent gang lifestyle and make communities feel safer
make families take responsibility for their childrens’ anti-social behaviour by assessing parenting needs when young people aged 10-15 years are given ASBOs (and impose parenting orders if they are breached)
tackle domestic violence with orders issued by police officers requiring an alleged perpetrator to leave the premises for a fixed period of time, and empower victims to feel safe in their own homes rather than seek refuge elsewhere
protect the public by ensuring the right people are on the Home Office’s DNA database by indefinitely retaining the DNA records of convicted offenders and holding the DNA of those who are acquitted for a proportionate amount of time
introduce a tough new compulsory licensing scheme for the wheel clamping industry in order to prevent unscrupulous companies from exploiting car drivers

Statement by the Home Secretary

At the time of the Bill’s publication, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “I’m determined to make our streets and communities safer. These new measures will help tackle a range of issues which can affect individuals and neighbourhoods, whether it’s anti-social behaviour causing misery to local residents or young people engaging in violent gang behaviour.”

Johnson added: “I want to help those most at risk, in turn preventing the cycle of crime and violence. The new measures are tough, but they also include plans to help youngsters leave a gang and compulsory parenting orders when a young person breaches an ASBO.”

Other measures proposed included:

retrospectively collecting DNA from serious violent and sexual offenders, allowing the authorities to take DNA samples from sex offenders returning to the UK following conviction overseas, and to collect DNA from convicted offenders who are back in our communities
freeing up police time to tackle crime in the community by reducing the information requirements for the police to stop and search
preventing the use of unauthorised mobile phones in prisons, thus stopping organised criminals and terrorists from continuing their criminal enterprises from behind bars
ensuring airguns are safely locked up and out of the reach of children, preventing senseless tragedies through the improper storage of these dangerous weapons

The published Act contains the following provisions:

a new DNA retention regime designed to hold the DNA profiles of convicted offenders indefinitely, and to keep the DNA profiles of those arrested but not convicted of a recordable offence for a fixed amount of time
powers for police to retrospectively take DNA samples from violent and sexual offenders returning to the UK following conviction overseas, and to collect DNA from such convicted offenders who are no longer in prison
a mandatory parenting needs assessment when young people aged ten-to-15 are being considered for an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and parenting orders where they have breached their ASBOs
powers for police and local authorities to apply to a county court for an injunction against young people over 14 to prevent gang related violence (and prevent a gang member from meeting other named gang members or going into a particular ‘territory’)
domestic violence protection orders requiring an alleged domestic violence perpetrator to leave the home for a fixed period of time
a licensing scheme for wheel clamping companies, and an independent appeals process for motorists who feel they have been wrongly clamped
financial compensation for British citizens who have been injured or bereaved by a terrorist attack overseas
powers for licensing authorities to make an order restricting the sale or supply of alcohol between the hours of 3.00 am and 6.00 am
reduced amounts of information that police must collect when stopping and searching an individual
powers for police to search individuals subject to control orders, and to seize items of concern where appropriate
a new offence of possession of an unauthorised mobile phone or other electronic communications device in prison
a new offence of failing to prevent minors from having access to air weapons