By Travis Smith
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced recently his plans to combat antisocial behaviour, a problem that he believes is rife throughout the country.
This includes harsher fines, giving crime victims a say in the punishment, and a new scheme that expects offenders to be working off their crimes within 48 hours of sentencing.
The initiative plans to tackle certain areas of the country, with two different forms seen across the board: immediate justice and hotspot policing.
Sunak has also completely banned the use of nitrous oxide outright, as well as harsher controlling of beggars obstructing paths and or disrupting begging networks which are connected to criminal gangs.
“These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people’s daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together,” the Prime Minster said, according to the BBC.
“That’s why I’m bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all – so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.”
But the question is, will this all work, and what do the public of Holloway think?
Cody Benison, 31, local builder, said: “I think it’s a pointless effort trying to ban nos (nitrous oxide), as it’s so easy to get, you can buy it from some shops.
“Banning it will just make people pay the dealers more as it is harder to get a hold of, putting even more money in the pockets of criminals.”
This Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) also warned the Prime Minister against the ban, saying that it “would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with nitrous oxide”.
The Council also said that such control could cause “significant burdens” for legitimate uses of the substance, according to The Guardian.
However, some people feel differently about this initiative, with some holding out hope for the future.
Lukas Boxshall, 23, a Holloway local, said “I think the UK as a whole has a drug problem that isn’t talked about enough, and I think Rishi Sunak’s new policies will do some good.”
The full interview with Lukas can be heard below.
So it is clear there is some public discrepancies with some new policies, however some members of the public remain hopeful in the Prime Minister’s initiative to combat anti social behaviour, it will just be a matter of time to see how effective the plan will be.
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