HOME OFFICE News
Release (115-2008) issued by The Government News Network on 18 June 2008
Increasing the
visibility of community sentences so that offenders 'pay
back' to the community, providing regular local crime data
and online maps, and investing in a new team of community
champions are part of new plans to better engage communities in
the fight against crime announced today by Prime Minister Gordon
Brown, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Justice Secretary Jack Straw.
The measures form part of the Government's response to a new
report published today by Louise Casey 'Engaging Communities
in Fighting Crime' and also include new guaranteed minimum
standards for neighbourhood policing and new dedicated funding to
spend on community safety in local areas.
The report acknowledges the vital role the public play in working
with neighbourhood police teams and local authorities to help make
communities feel safe and secure, help set local policing
priorities and build public confidence in crime fighting agencies.
It sets out proposals to put the interests of the public and the
law-abiding majority first.
After discussing the review with members of the public who
contributed to it, the Prime Minister said:
"We commissioned this frank report because we know how
important it is to understand how the public feel about crime and
justice. Through this report, people have told us what they want
to be done, and we are going to act. The report is clear that
overall crime has fallen and that the reforms of the last ten
years have had a major impact, for example through record numbers
of police officers and a new approach to anti-social behaviour.
But it is also clear that we need to go further, that too many
people don't believe the system is on their side.
"Building on this report the Home Secretary and I have asked
Louise to work with us on a plan to transform the role of local
communities in tackling crime but also to transform the way
policing and justice relate to the public."
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"I welcome Louise Casey's review and would like to
thank the thousands of members of the public, police and other
crime fighting professionals who have contributed to the
review's findings.
"Making sure that people feel safe and secure in their
communities is my top priority. And central to that is building
people's confidence that crime is being tackled in their
areas and justice is being done - and being seen to be done.
"The public are the best weapon in the fight against crime -
and Louise's report will help us to put the
'neighbourhood' into Neighbourhood Policing. With people
having a strong voice in local policing priorities - as well as
the information and the tools they need to understand what's
going on in their area - we'll make Neighbourhood Policing
work for every community across the country.
"Louise's report shows how neighbourhood policing has a
vital role to play in delivering safer communities, and I welcome
many of the proposals.
"We plan to publish monthly local crime data and we will
take forward the report's recommendations on local crime
mapping and making sure every household receives 'Crime
Watch' style information about the local fight against crime.
"I also welcome the proposals for 'Community Crime
Fighters' and community kitties to fund local groups to help
tackle community safety problems. As we develop the Policing
Pledge we are looking at delivering guaranteed minimum standards
for all Neighbourhood Policing Teams, and Louise's report has
given us a clear sense of what the public expect from this.
"Louise's report will feed into the Policing Green
Paper, to be published shortly, which will take forward proposals
to firmly put the citizen's needs at the heart of modern
policing - with neighbourhood police teams engaged with local
concerns backed up by new directly elected representatives. We
have appointed Louise to the role of Neighbourhood Crime and
Justice Adviser to see what more we can do to build community
confidence in tackling crime and delivering justice."
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said:
"I greatly welcome the recommendations from Louise Casey.
Crime has fallen dramatically under this Government but we can and
must do more to increase the public's confidence in justice.
This report includes some excellent proposals for further consideration.
"I am particularly keen to take forward the proposals from
the Casey review on the visibility of community sentences and have
asked for detailed proposals as to whether we could move towards
greater use of uniforms for offenders paying back their debt to
society through unpaid work schemes. In many cases a tough
community sentence can be more effective than a short prison
sentence - more effective in terms of punishing and reforming
offenders, turning them away from crime and therefore giving
greater protection to the public. It is vital that the public see
these sentences working in their communities.
"Louise Casey is also absolutely right that we need to take
euphemisms out of the criminal justice system. Unpaid work should
be called what it is - Community Payback."
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:
"I welcome Louise Casey's excellent report. It is right
that we engage local people in the fight against crime and
anti-social behaviour. Local people want to see justice done; they
want to know what happens when someone is convicted; and they want
to see punishment where it is due. It is right that the system
works for the victim and the witness, and not for the criminal.
The public is looking to the Government for a fair system and a
common sense approach, and this report points the way."
Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls said:
"I welcome Louise Casey's detailed look at what
communities can do to help. Evidence in this review shows that the
public support our tough approach in dealing with youth crime and
anti-social behaviour and our Youth Taskforce action plan to get
more places for young people to go things to do and after school
and at weekends.
We will use tough enforcement to tackle unacceptable behaviour
alongside non negotiable support and early intervention and
prevention to tackle the underlying causes and stop problems
arising in the first place. This summer we will publish the Youth
Crime Action Plan which will go further to tackle youth crime and
its causes. "
The Government's detailed response to the report will come
in a number of areas over the coming weeks, including the Policing
Green Paper, the Youth Crime Action Plan, and further
announcements by the Ministry of Justice. Recommendations the
Government will immediately take forward include:
* Community Payback: more visibility of unpaid work and greater
public engagement - including through community panels - in the
selection of unpaid work projects; and greater use of uniforms for
offenders paying back their debt to society through unpaid work schemes.
* Community Champions: Teams of ordinary citizens in every area
of the country will be equipped with the skills and know-how to
play a stronger role in tackling crime. They will give
tenants' organisations and community groups a stronger voice,
serving to strengthen links between the general public and the police.
* Funding 'kitties' to neighbourhood and community
groups: The review found that small interventions, if properly
directed, can have a dramatic effect. So the Government will
encourage local authorities to provide funding to help tackle
community safety problems, such as better lighting and more
activities for young people.
* Regular local crime information including online crime maps for
every area of the country - building on work already underway with
all 43 police forces in England and Wales.
* New minimum guaranteed standards for neighbourhood policing to
be developed as part of the Policing Pledge.
* The appointment of Louise Casey to take up a new role as
Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Adviser advising on building
community confidence in neighbourhood policing, meeting local
priorities on crime and policing and promoting citizen engagement
in justice. She will be based in the Home Office but will advise
the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary
and other ministers as necessary, reflecting the cross-cutting
nature of this work on this work.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The review, 'Engaging Communities in Fighting
Crime', is published on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
2. Louise Casey was commissioned by the Prime Minister to carry
out the cross-departmental review last October. See Cabinet Office
press notice CAB/080/07 or contact the Cabinet Office press office
on 020 7276 1234.
3. Louise Casey will take part in a live webchat in Number 10 on
the Criminal Justice System on 19 June at 2pm.