Protect victims not criminals

THE rising tide of crime in our country is very worrying for every parent and most young people in England and Wales.

Knife and gun crime is getting our of control.

I was reading an article in the Sunday Mail.

In 1961, there were 807,000 recorded crime sin England and Wales.

Compare that with recorded offences to June 2017 and this has now risen to 5.2 million.

In 1965, there were 22,050 burglaries. In 2017 there were 438,971.

We have a larger population now and the menace of drugs – the biggest blight on our society.

Many young people go out at weekends to enjoy themselves only to be tempted by scumbags peddling drugs which will eventually ruin their lives and also their families lives.

The police try their best with dwindling resources and manpower.

Crimes are being de-criminalised, prison sentences for violent crime should be more severe.

Anyone using a knife or gun should get a long sentence without remission.

Our courts and laws are too soft.

The police catch these violent people only for the courts to give, say, two years only, to then let them have half off for good behaviour.

If someone goes out with a knife or gun, there is a chance of them using it.

Stop and search is a must and must be brought back immediately.

Violent foreign criminals must all be deported after their sentence has been served.

All people in this country need and deserve to be protected by the powers that be.

The government are letting us down.

If there is no room in our prisons then build more. picture of Wardle Fold was submitted by Peter Sykes. Email your pictures to us at rochdaleobserver@menmedia.co.uk or upload them to Flickr.com/groups/Rochdalepics

I’d rather violent criminals be incarcerated than be terrorising innocent law abiding people in society.

More police, more prisons, protect the victims not the scum. Brian Godley Charlotte Street Rochdale

PROUD OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

IT’S six months since I started looking after the regeneration directorate at the council and I‘m incredibly proud of what the service has achieved.

The work undertaken by the council’s economy directorate is really important to our residents and the future prosperity of our borough.

It creates jobs, helps people gain vital skills to get into work, builds new homes and brings money in for the benefit of everyone.

Working closely with the Rochdale Development Agency and with my colleagues, councillors Daalat Ali and Liam O’Rourke, over 2017/18 the service has: Created 363 new jobs Safeguarded 357 jobs Helped 564 people into employment

Helped unemployed residents gain 1,060 qualifications between them

Helped generate £4.4m of collective wages for unemployed residents who accessed council support

Helped build 500 new homes

Generated £32.6m of private sector investment

Generated £1.24m of business rates growth

Secured £5.6m of external funding

Generated an additional £39.5m for the local economy through development activity

Helped 16 new businesses expand or relocate into the borough

We want our residents in fulfilling jobs, with access to skills and training, good quality homes and great shops.

Although we’ve achieved a lot over this past year, we know that boosting the prosperity of our borough and its residents is an incredibly important part of the work the council does.

We are looking to achieve even more next year and I look forward to updating your readers on future progress. Coun John Blundell Cabinet member for regeneration, business, skills and employment

SHOULD HAVE HAD CLEAN-UP

RE: Rochdale Observer, Saturday, June 2, article: Frame Town Hall.

Has our council considered in these plans for the town hall disabled access parking? Where are emergency vehicles going to stop/park to tend to emergency incidents in the Esplanade, which the council want to close off?

Instead of changing the surroundings, clean the outside of the town hall and bring out the historic history inside our Rochdale landmark.

This should have been done before spending £4 million on a stinking river. Rochdalian (Name and address supplied).

INFORMATION ON POWER

ARE you contemplating changing your power supply?

Before you do so, for independent information on this subject it is well worth looking at Citizens Advice Bureau.

www.cab.org.uk/energy David S Ball, Sketty Swansea