‘We need police back on our streets keeping people safe’ MP reveals Labour plan to combat crime
ROCHDALE’S MP has revealed his party’s plan for a crackdown on community crime and anti-social behaviour.
Labour’s Tony Lloyd, revealed Labour’s pledge to reduce crime and punish criminals in communities across the country.
Labour claims that 1.2 million incidents of nuisance are recorded in England and Wales every year - equating to over 20,000 incidents every single week.
However, a government spokesperson said that ‘beating crime is the government’s number one priority’.
They added that there had been a 17% increase in the number of police officers carrying out neighbourhood policing roles since March 2019.
The party’s plan includes:
● New Police Hubs in crime and antisocial behaviour hotspots across the country to get the police back out into the community
● Neighbourhood Prevention Teams bringing together police and local councils and youth services to tackle antisocial behaviour that is blighting communities
● Stronger powers for police and local councils to shut down drug dens, and to keep them closed for longer
● A major recruitment drive to increase the number of special constables
● Giving victims of persistent antisocial behaviour the same entitlements including access to support services as other victims of crime
Mr Lloyd said: “Communities in Rochdale are being badly let down by the Tories.
“Total crime is going up, yet prosecutions are going down.
“Criminals are being let off and at the end of the day, it is the victims who are being badly let down.
“That has to change. Labour’s plans for new Police Hubs will bring neighbourhood prevention teams back out into our communities.
“We need to see police back on our streets working in communities to keep people safe.”
The government said they are more than halfway to our target of recruiting 20,000 additional officers by 2023 and have published a police funding settlement of up to £16.9 billion - an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to 2021/2022.
They also said that in the year to September 2021, neighbourhood crime was 33% lower than in the year to June 2019 according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
A Government spokesperson said: “Beating crime is the government’s number one priority.
“We are recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers by March 2023, we are increasing funding for policing by up to £1.1 billion and we are giving the police the powers and tools they need to stop crimes happening in the first place.
“There has been a 17% increase in the number of police officers carrying out neighbourhood policing roles since March 2019.
“Our communities are safer. You are less likely to be a victim of gun or knife crime, less likely to have your house broken into, and less likely to be a victim of car crime.
“We know that the pandemic has had an effect on crime, but we are determined to build on the reductions we have seen.”