WIREDGOV

LGA responds to yesterday's launch of the Government's Modern Crime Prevention Strategy.

"This strategy recognises the role that a wide range of partners, including councils, have in preventing crime. It provides councils with a number of new tools and powers they have been calling for to tackle serious issues facing their communities, including a ban on ‘zombie killer' knives.

"Increasing the flexibility of the late night levy on businesses and putting cumulative impact policies on a statutory basis will give local authorities more powers to tackle crime and nuisance arising from clusters of premises. We believe that this policy could usefully be applied to other areas of licensing, such as gambling, and urge government to look at this.

"While a new round of Local Alcohol Action Areas will help address alcohol-related harm, failing to add a health objective to the Licensing Act is a missed opportunity to help councils protect the public health of local communities from some of the risks of excessive alcohol consumption.

"We believe that there is merit in the idea of a group review intervention power to address problems in a specific location, and look forward to working with government on the consultation on this. We also look forward to working with government on sharing crime data and analysis more widely with councils and community safety partnerships."

View the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509831/6.1770_Modern_Crime_Prevention_Strategy_final_WEB_version.pdf