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BY JENNY BOOTH, TIMES ONLINE
These are the main points of the Home Office's five year strategic plan on law and order, Confident Communities in a Secure Britain, which was launched by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, today
PLEDGE TO CUT CRIME
Target to cut by 15 per cent, or 885,000 offences, the 5.9 million offences reported in England and Wales in 2002-03
Pledge that by 2007-08 the number of crimes which are detected will increase to 1.25 million, from 1.07 million last year
In the 1960s, the decade that Tony Blair has blamed for today's high crime, the number of serious crimes reported each year doubled, rising from around 15 to 30 crimes per 1000 of population.
The rising trend began in 1954, when the figure was 10 per 1000. Reported serious crime peaked in 1992 at 110 per 1000 and today is around 80 per thousand.
TARGETING OFFENDERS, NOT OFFENCES
Under a new prolific offender programme, 5,000 serial offenders, blamed for 9 per cent of crime, will be fitted with a satellite tracking device
Freed paedophiles and other serious offenders will also be fitted with trackers
1,000 drug addicts will be entering drug rehabilitation each week, by the end of 2007-08
In 66 high crime areas, problem drug users will be monitored individually through the justice system
Organised criminals will lose the right to silence and the right to jury trial, and can have their assets seized
The programme to protect witnesses in court cases will be expanded
In the 1960s, Britain's prison population averaged 30,000, compared to more than 75,000 today.
STRONGER POLICE PRESENCE
Civilian police wardens will quintuple in numbers to 20,000 by 2008, thanks to £50m extra from the Treasury
Police numbers will remain at the record high of 138,000. Measures to cut red tape will free 12,500 officers for frontline duties.
The Government will consult on setting up a new police improvement agency.
A non-emergency phone number to contact the police will be set up alongside the existing 999 system
During the 1960s police numbers in England and Wales rose from around 80,000 to 100,000.
ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
The Together campaign will be expanded from its ten pilot areas to a further 50 areas, where the police will be expected to work with the community to cut anti-social behaviour, town centre disorder, fly-tipping and graffiti
Communities will get new powers to request information and action from the police
Youth inclusion and early intervention programmes will be rolled out nationwide
Anti-social behaviour orders were introduced in 1998, but have so far only been used 1,337 times, according to recent figures. Curfews, acceptable behaviour contracts and on-the-spot fines have also had a lukewarm reception
ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION
Electronic border controls will be introduced to cut down on illegal entry and exit from Britain
July 19, 2004 at 07:17 PM in UK | Permalink | TrackBack (17) | Top of page | Blog Home