Will new crime-fighting laws help us reclaim our town centres? Take our poll and have your say

Labour's new crime-fighting laws certainly sound like a step in the right direction - but do you think they will finally help us take back our town centres from 'thugs and thieves'?

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper certainly thinks so, today announcing one of the biggest policing shake-ups in decades. There are more than 50 new laws on the way, including one that’ll let the police raid homes without a warrant if tech shows there are stolen goods inside.

The long-awaited Crime and Policing Bill also aims to crack down on shoplifting and will introduce new ASBO-style Respect Orders to tackle troublemakers. Cooper said: "We will never write off the crimes that make people scared to go out."

Amongst the raft of new measures, spiking will be made into a specific crime as part of the push to fight violence against women and girls, and there’s a plan to strengthen anti-stalking laws, too.

The Bill also brings in serious action against gangs that recruit kids, with up to a decade behind bars for anyone found exploiting minors. Plus, the force will now have the power to seize and destroy dangerous blades found on private property and new legislation will allow vehicles - including off-road bikes and e-scooters - to be taken by officers without first giving a warning.

The new laws will also let the police move quicker on thefts of items with geotechnology tracking, like phones, so they can raid buildings based on where stolen goods are traced. The Government’s calling this the “golden hour” of investigations, hoping to get stolen property back faster.

If you can't see the poll, click here

Cooper pointed out how frustrating it is for victims when they know exactly where their stolen phones are, but nothing is done. She said: “For the last few years, our towns and cities have seen street theft shoot up, as organised gangs have been targeting mobile phones. But it is extremely frustrating for victims when they can see exactly where their stolen phone has gone but nothing is done. That is why we are determined to give the police the powers they need to move fast to crack down on these crimes that are blighting our communities.”

Some of the key measures in the Bill include

Antisocial behaviour

New ASBO-style Respect Orders will allow police and councils to bar repeat offenders from town centres and get them into rehabilitation services. Failure to comply will be a criminal offence.

Cops will be able to seize vehicles, including off-road bikes and e-scooters, without warning.

Knife crime

Police will be able to seize and destroy deadly knives found on private property. The maximum penalty for selling them to under-18s will rise from six months to two years.

There will also be a new criminal offence of possessing a blade with the intent to cause harm, with a sentence of up to four years.

Retail crime

There will be a new offence of assaulting a shop worker. The Bill also removes a Tory loophole which treats retail theft of goods worth less than £200 a summary offence.

Businesses say this is fuelling a rise in cases and empowering organised shoplifting gangs.

Exploitation

A new offence of child criminal exploitation will be created to target gangs who recruit kids.

There will also be a new offence of cuckooing - taking over the home of a vulnerable person for criminal activities. The Bill also extends the current offence of exposure and creates a new child abduction offence.

Violence against women and girls

New offences will criminalise taking or recording of intimate images or videos without consent. There will be a new offence of spiking, while stalking protection orders will be strengthened.

Police will also have more powers to release the identity of online stalkers to victims.

Police powers

There will be no need for warrants to raid addresses where electronically tracked stolen items such as phones have been traced.

Police powers to manage registered sex offenders will be reformed, including the ability to change their name. Probation services will also be able to polygraph test criminals who have committed sexual or terrorism-motivated crimes.

Protests

Possession of fireworks, flares and other pyrotechnics will be banned at protests. There will also be a new offence criminalising climbing on specified war memorials. Face coverings at protests designated by police will be banned.

What do you think? Will the new crime-fighting laws help us reclaim our town centres? Take our poll above and expand on your feelings in the comments.