‘We need focused and specialised policing’
WHEN the Prime Minister announced his Beating Crime Plan last week you could be forgiven for thinking that this was not aimed at West Berkshire.
After all, this is not an area where serious violence, knife crime or armed robbery are regular occurrences. However, since I have been the MP, I have seen certain types of offending that are prevalent. Take hare-coursing – which blights the lives of farmers across the Berkshire Downs. This is not innocent pastoral mischief. It involves large groups from as far afield as Wales descending in 4x4 vehicles, destroying crops and unleashing packs of dogs to chase hares or stolen puppies who are used as bait.
The crime is hard to police (perpetrators deliberately target remote locations) and it is even harder to report – victims who have done so have suffered arson and intimidation.
That’s why the announcement of neighbourhood police officers who will be specifically assigned to certain areas in the country could make a real difference. Partly because it will increase manpower on the ground
– but also because it will mean that communities will have specialist support from officers who truly understand the nature of crime.
The Government also announced the prioritisation of online fraud. I have been shocked by some of the personal stories that constituents have told me – duped into transferring their life savings into a sham investment or bogus pension scheme.
Scammers have become more sophisticated, shameless and brutal. They deliberately target vulnerable people who they anticipate will be less sceptical of their advances. And yet everything from their phone numbers to their bank accounts are incredibly hard to detect and close. The Online Safety Bill comes before Parliament this autumn and is intended to give police far greater powers to clamp down on this. Tougher action was also announced on antisocial behaviour which is by far the most common offence I hear about and causes misery to communities.
Part of this is about punishment but part of it is about changing the conditions in which this type of offending occurs in the first place.
The increased use of Alcohol Abstinence Orders, which enable perpetrators to avoid more serious sentences by committing to sobriety (monitored by an ankle tag), have been hugely effective in reducing crimes of this nature in pilot schemes.
I also support the package of measures to give ex-offenders the tools they need to build productive lives when they leave prison.
They say that every former prisoner needs a job, a house and someone to love them. The Government can help with two out of three.
And its recent introduction of prison work coaches to funnel offenders into jobs, provide accommodation for the first 12 weeks post-release and reform of the rules around criminal record disclosure are central to this.
To meet the challenges facing West Berkshire we need focused and specialised policing, with the tools to tackle hidden crimes and the support, as well as punishment, to reduce reoffending and I am hopeful that last week’s plan delivers that.