Devolution of crime busting key to tackling crime? Hazel Blears - Tory, nationalist, Lib coalition would let down the law-abiding majority
DEVOLUTION of crime busting to local communities in Wales will be the key to breaking the hold of criminals on their neighbourhoods, Hazel Blears will say today.
On a visit to Cardiff the Labour Party Chair will unveil a series of party proposals to give citizens in Wales a greater say on how crime and anti-social behaviour is tackled in their communities. The policies have been developed by party members across Wales, AMs and the trade unions.
Hazel Blears will praise the Assembly Government's record on tackling anti-social behaviour. She will say that a third term Labour Assembly Government would provide greater powers for local people to make their communities safer and to provide targeted local services to combat the causes of crime.
She will also slam the "growing consensus of nonsense" developing around the Tory, Lib Dem and nationalist would-be coalition partners in Wales.
Hazel Blears will reveal Welsh Labour's plans during a meeting with neighbourhood watch activists in Whitchurch. She will be joined by Labour Cardiff North candidate Sophie Howe, who has made tackling anti-social behaviour one of the main issues of her campaign.
Hazel Blears said that if Welsh Labour wins the Assembly election it will:
- Provide greater power to local Community Safety Partnerships to enable them to better target local problems of anti-social behaviour in their areas. Use the Assembly's powers to strengthen arrangements for partnership working between agencies and guidance for local councils, making it easier for CSPs to operate effectively.
- Extend Anti-Social Behaviour Action Area pilot projects across Wales. These are concentrated, multi-agency projects with a specific focus on the areas most affected by anti-social behaviour, pooling the resources of local agencies to break the hold of the yobs.
- Extend the Crime Fighting Fund (currently £124m a year). Additional resources will be targeted at more local initiatives aimed at dealing with anti-social behaviour.
- Secure earlier intervention to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system, concentrating on the causes of poor housing and poor physical environments that often lead to criminal behaviour.
- Conduct an all-Wales audit to eliminate any shortcomings in the provision of services to victims of domestic violence. Victims will have the support they need regardless of where they live.
- Build on the 600 per cent increase in funding for drug and alcohol misuse projects targeting a major cause of crime. Attention will be given to more innovative services such as mobile outreach and development and adaptation of pharmacy services making it easier for people to beat their illnesses.
HAZEL BLEARS will say:
"Our party members in Wales, the trade unions and AMs have done a great hob in coming up with some positive ideas about how we can provide greater powers to communities in Wales to deal with anti-social behaviour and crime.
"Welsh Labour will make tackling crime and its causes a top priority for a third Assembly term. Crime is falling because of the strong partnership between Labour in Westminster and Labour in the Assembly.
"But we need to concentrate more on the kind of petty crime that drags down whole neighbourhoods, such as vandalism and binge drinking.
"We believe local people know best how resources should be targeted in their communities to deal with anti-social behaviour. We want to give people more power to build strong communities they can be proud of.
"We must not allow Wales to fall victim to the growing consensus of nonsense developing amongst the Tories, Plaid Cymru and Lib Dems on crime. The Lib Dems and Plaid have always been soft on crime, either opposing of failing to support tough Labour measures to beat anti-social behaviour. And now Cameron's Tories have joined in, with Cameron turning his back on the victims of crime.
"It is only Welsh Labour that will go into the Assembly election with a sensible and effective plan to deal with crime, anti-social behaviour and their causes."
SOPHIE HOWE will say:
"It is local people who have to put up with the intimidation, graffiti and boy racers. Community activists like the ones in Whitchurch deal every day with the problems in their areas. They know what works.
"Labour in the Assembly has demonstrated that it is serious about building strong safe communities through dramatic increases in funding for rehabilitation projects, banishing the great Tory scandal of leaving drink and drug addicts without hope of assistance to kick the habit. The Assembly's £100m Crime Fighting Fund is now a "124m fund.
"But ultimately this is about more than numbers. Labour is committed to helping law-abiding people and supporting their efforts to build stronger, safer communities. We are on their side."
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