The Policing and Crime Bill
The Policing and Crime Bill going through Parliament contains tough new measures to stop gang related crime. Successful existing solutions such as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders have had a real influence – 65% of offenders stopped behaving anti-socially after the first intervention, and 86% after the second. Together with the record numbers of police on our streets, these initiatives are making it harder for people to cause trouble in our neighbourhoods.
The way criminals are caught and brought to justice in recent years has changed too. The value of CCTV was demonstrated in central Newcastle: in the area covered by CCTV, burglaries fell by 56 per cent, criminal damage by 34 per cent, and theft by 11 per cent after CCTV was installed. CCTV enjoys strong public support and year on year surveys show that people feel safer where there’s a CCTV presence.
The recording of DNA when people are arrested is seen as controversial by some. But the fact is that DNA matches were used in hundreds of convictions last year, for murder and manslaughter, rape and other violent crimes.
It’s not just violent crime that can be a threat at times like these. The Government is also taking action against those who seek to take advantage of people struggling with money at the moment. Measures have been introduced to stop businesses that make false claims about writing off people’s debts. New guidance has been produced which highlights misleading statements in adverts that breach consumer protection regulations. And a new hotline has been set up to help people who’ve got into trouble with loan sharks.
This Government has a decent record in this area – you are now less likely to be a victim of crime than at any time in the past 25 years, and burglary is down 55% in the past decade. We can all play our part in making sure that the economic downturn does not present a threat to that, and that people can feel safe going about their day to day lives in our cities.