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Jacqui Smith
Home Secretary quizzed on issues affecting you
17/ 9/2008
AS THE Labour Government gathers in Manchester this week for its annual party conference, Stockport Express chief reporter Peter Devine exclusively quizzes Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on issues which most affect the town’s citizens; namely crime ...
Q: What has the Labour Government been able to do to lower the fear of crime in places like Stockport?
A: Since 1997 overall crime in Britain has fallen by 40 percent. The most recent figures show that nationally crime fell 10 per cent last year alone, with a bigger fall of 19 percent in Stockport. It’s important that we highlight these falls in crime so that the public see the reality, rather than the myths. I am committed to strengthening the link between the police and the public through a new form of local accountability. The Policing Green Paper which we published in the summer will see the roll-out of crime maps in every neighbourhood by the end of this year, so that people will have the information they need on what is happening in their local area.
Q: Binge drinking has created a number of crime hotspots in Stockport (a man in Hazel Grove was recently asked for a cigarette, and when he refused, was kicked repeatedly). What can be done to tackle lawlessness where drugs and alcohol are involved?
A: I know there are concerns that binge drinking can ruin a night out for everyone else. That is why we have given police and local authorities the tools and powers they need to tackle the problem in the form of dispersal powers, directions to leave and alcohol arrest referral pilots. The police and trading standards routinely strive to limit sales of alcohol to youngsters and collectively we are working together to tackle under-age drinking and alcohol disorder. Drug use is at a 13-year low while alcohol-related disorder has remained stable. We are committed to tackling drug use through tough enforcement, early intervention, education and, where appropriate, treatment.
Q: Do you believe in putting bobbies on the beat, or do you take the line they are more useful in vehicles, as has been some of the arguments put forward by police bosses. If you believe in the former what efforts are you making to persuade police chiefs, in places like Stockport, to send bobbies onto the streets?
A: There are now 3,600 neighbourhood policing teams across the country which are working to deliver local priorities and make our communities even safer. A visible police presence on our streets is crucial to enhancing confidence in the police and increasing confidence in those working to fight crime. By the end of this year, we will have a new policing pledge for the public, including local priorities agreed by people in each neighbourhood.
Q:People say they don’t want PCSOs because they have no powers. Do you see them as a credible alternative to police officers?
A: People do want PCSOs. Their role is to complement the work of police officers; they are not an alternative. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are an important part of Neighbourhood Policing teams with their focus on engaging their local community, providing high visibility, reassurance policing and dealing with low-level crime and anti-social behaviour.
Q: Is the only answer to criminality to lock people up and throw away the key? What is the Government doing to rehabilitate ex-offenders to prevent them from re-offending? And what do you say to people who say the Government is soft on criminals?
A: The Government will always provide enough prison places for serious offenders: the most dangerous, the seriously persistent offenders and the most violent. Prison is the right place for the worst villains. However, prison is not always the right answer for less serious offenders. In some of these cases a tough community sentence can be more effective than a short prison sentence – that is, more effective in terms of rehabilitating offenders, turning them away from crime and so better protecting the public. Community payback projects combine punishment and hard work for offenders, but they also offer the chance to gain new skills, which will help reduce the risk of re-offending. It is intended to be hard work, to benefit the community in which the offender lives.
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17/09/2008 at 12:36
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Please, please, just continue to give answers like this. I hope you can hang on to Gordon's tails as long as possible.
We can then rest assured that come the next general election your lot will be all be looking for new jobs.
19/09/2008 at 19:16