HOME OFFICE News
Release (199/2008) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 19
November 2008
Victims and
witnesses who have successfully spoken out against crime and
anti-social behaviour were praised today by the Neighbourhood
Crime and Justice Adviser Louise Casey on a visit to Birmingham.
Birmingham will receive additional funding of over £90,000 as one
of 60 areas across the country that have signed up to become new
Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer Areas, delivering a key
recommendation of the Casey Review. The new pioneer areas will
each appoint a dedicated person - a Neighbourhood Crime and
Justice (NCJ) Co-ordinator - to build public confidence in the
police and courts by ensuring that the public have a greater say
in the way their streets are policed and how offenders are dealt with.
During the visit Louise Casey met with representatives from the
Central Magistrates Court and toured the witness facilities which
offer greater protection to those giving evidence. A new court
building is due for completion in 2012.
Louise Casey said:
"Increasing public confidence is essential in the fight
against crime as crime can only be tackled effectively when the
police, the public and the criminal justice system work together.
We are determined to take action on this across Government and the
key is putting people first.
"I'm delighted that we are investing an additional
£90,000 in Birmingham as one of the new Neighbourhood Crime and
Justice Pioneer Areas and look forward to seeing real changes on
the ground."
Alison Parsons, Head of Birmingham's Anti-Social Behaviour
Unit, said:
"Witnesses play a difficult but essential role in making
communities safer by making it possible for us to bring cases to
court. We owe it to them to make this process as comfortable as
possible and provide them with every support they need."
One of the victims Louise Casey met was Linda Graham, a woman who
was racially abused and threatened by her neighbour. With the help
of the Witness Support Programme, she and her partner had the
confidence to give evidence in court.
Linda Graham said:
"The Witness Support Service was very helpful to me and my
partner. They explained the court process to us and arranged for a
visit to the court before the hearing, where we had an opportunity
to ask questions. We would not have been able to go through it
without their support."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Areas were invited to bid to become Pioneer Areas on the basis
of a variety of data including deprivation, population size and
crime information. However, equally important in agreeing bids was
their determination to work with local communities to address
local concerns about crime, anti-social behaviour and justice.
2. Funding of £5.6 million is available to support the
Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer Areas nationally in
2008/09 and 2009/10.
3. Louise Casey and IPSOS MORI are hosting an event entitled
"Building confidence in the fight against crime" on
Wednesday 19 November from 10am until 12.30pm. The event will draw
on the recommendations from the Casey Review "Engaging
Communities and Fighting Crime". The review involved over
10,000 members of the public and set out 32 proposals on areas
such as the integrated delivery of Neighbourhood Policing, a
stronger public voice on crime, better support for victims and
witnesses and more visible and tougher "community
payback". Registration is online at http://www.ipsos-mori.com/pressandevents/crime-booking-form.ashx.