Earlier this week, North East Lincolnshire Council launched a new service; the service known as Community Pride was launched on Thursday, March 18, with the aim of building community pride in the borough’s neighbourhoods. 

Community Pride is a combination of the council’s warden and environmental enforcement services, but with a new and improved focus of better meeting the needs and expectations of the community. 

It has been introduced following consultation with residents, which showed that crime, environmental crime, and anti-social behaviour are of greatest concern to the local population.  

Councillor Peter Burgess, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment and the green agenda, said: “This new and improved service aims to build community pride in North East Lincolnshire and we will be working with all our residents to ensure that we tackle the problems they are facing in their neighbourhoods.  

“Previously the neighbourhood safety scheme wardens and the environmental enforcement teams have worked separately. However, this new service is about bringing all their work together so they are working to one agenda. This will ensure we have a greater impact and the aim is to make a real difference to people’s lives in North East Lincolnshire.” 

Key aspects of the new service include:

Ø     New more flexible working, so officers are on the streets when it really matters

Ø     Improved street presence

Ø     Increased efficiency by focusing on the customer and cutting unnecessary bureaucracy

Ø     Enhanced graffiti removal, with closer working with Community Payback

Ø     Improved visibility and identity with new uniforms and vehicle branding

Ø     Better communications with the public so that they know what the service is doing and why

Ø     Improved working with Humberside Police, the Environment Agency and other key agencies 

Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew De Freitas, said: “We have listened to the concerns of the public and they have told us that improvements are still needed in a number of areas, including high visibility patrols, dealing with fly tipping, littering and dog fouling. 

“Community Pride will tackle all of these areas in a much more efficient way. It is important that we work very closely with our partners, such as the Police and the Environment Agency, to ensure that we are all working together to improve our area. 

“We want to encourage residents to tell us where they are experiencing problems and we will work with them to ensure that their neighbourhoods are always a pleasant place to live and work.” 

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for community safety and public protection, said: “The council wants to ensure people have pride in their community. The Neighbourhood Safety Scheme wardens and the Environmental Enforcement team have made significant strides in tidying up the area.  

“Our vision is to build on this success by bringing the teams together, with the name Community Pride, to provide an even better service in the future. We are committed to working in partnership, for example with the Police and Environment Agency, to help tackle problems with the help of the community. This is an excellent step forward and has my full support.” 

The telephone number for members of the public to call regarding any enviro-crime incidents is (01472) 324770.

During February, I posted a number of articles on this website about the monthly crime figures for North East Lincolnshire; January was an historic month – with crime levels at an all time low. 

At this moment in time North East Lincolnshire is seeing a major impact of some very good partnership working and month on month since the middle of last year crime levels have fallen dramatically, and once again we have gone one better in February – outstripping Januarys’ best ever performance! 

Last month, Chief Superintendent David Hilditch said: “January’s figures come on top of excellent figures for October, November and December which made 2009 a very good year for us. February has got off to a good start as well.  

“I would hope that we would all want to see a safe and prosperous area with low crime levels and so I am disappointed that some people choose to assume that good results for North East Lincolnshire can’t be true. We’ve got something to celebrate here.  

“The story behind the figures is that we have relentlessly been targeting the top offenders and some of the prison sentences we have seen in the last year have been very pleasing. At the other end of the scale we have been working very closely with the Youth Offending Service and many other partners to keep kids out of trouble.”

Yesterday, Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, Jenny Willott accused the Government of dragging its feet over creating a minimum price for alcohol which could help reduce drink-fuelled violent crime. 

Speaking during Welsh Questions in the House of Commons, Jenny Willott, who is a long time supporter of the need for minimum alcohol pricing, asked Wayne David MP, the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, what discussion the Wales Office had had with other Government Departments and with Welsh Assembly Government on introducing a scheme. 

Mr David said that discussions were ongoing on the issue but failed to give any details or a commitment that the issue would be taken forward. 

Commenting later, Jenny Willott said: “The Labour Administrations both in Westminster and in Wales have continued to drag their feet on this issue, despite increasing evidence that minimum alcohol pricing can help reduce violent crime.  

“While the vast majority of pubs and clubs in Cardiff encourage responsible drinking, their efforts and their co-operation with the police is often undermined by supermarkets selling dirt cheap alcohol which is consumed before people even go into the pubs and clubs.  

“A minimum alcohol price would help combat the availability of dangerously cheap spirits that encourages binge drinking and leads to the chaos seen in towns and cities across the UK every Friday and Saturday night. 

“The Government needs to act now. They have dragged their feet for far too long on this issue and it has had a devastating impact on our city centres and our communities.”

  “Prison clearly isn’t working to reduce reoffending and yet all Labour and the Tories offer are threats to lock up more people,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth. 

  Commenting on Ministry of Justice figures showing nearly half all criminals released from prison go on to commit further offences, David Howarth said: “Prison clearly isn’t working to reduce reoffending and yet all Labour and the Tories offer are threats to lock up more people.

“We’re throwing billions of pounds at something that is creating future crime.

“We can cut crime if we start reducing the prison population by having a presumption against short sentences which don’t work and moving drug addicts and the mentally ill into more appropriate accomodation.”

  The Liberal Democrats today called for the Sex Offenders’ Register to be upgraded to take account of the use of the internet in the light of the tragic murder of Ashleigh Hall. 

In a letter to the Home Secretary, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne called for both the failures of conventional monitoring and the inadequacy of internet monitoring to be put right.

Commenting, Chris Huhne said: “Our procedures are still lagging behind the development of the internet, since we do not even require the registration of IP and email addresses of sex offenders, which has now become typical in the United States. This would allow police to monitor social networking activity.

“It is also disappointing that Facebook, which was used by Peter Chapman to make contact with Ashleigh Hall, is the only big social networking site not to install the button that allows users to get advice on, and to report, suspicious on-line activity from so-called friends.

“If Bebo and MSN can install the button from the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre, then so can Facebook.

“Until Facebook acts on this, its protestations that it cares passionately about the safety of people who use its site will look like empty words. Facebook urgently needs to take this clear, simple and practical step.”  

This article was written by Chris Huhne and was published on the Guardian online website

Locking up more people is a populist ploy that doesn’t cut crime. We would focus on rigorous community sentences instead

You wouldn’t run the NHS without testing the effectiveness of drugs. No sane economist would let you run the economy without elaborate modelling to test fiscal and monetary policies. It should be a given that important matters of public policy are based on evidence and research, rather than political whim. Why, then, is the field of criminal justice uniquely and scandalously divorced from this obvious rule?

In no other area of public policy are politicians as ready and willing to play to the public gallery as on crime. Since Tony Blair became shadow home secretary in 1992, Labour’s approach to law and order has been to try to out-Tory the Tories in being seen as tough on crime. The Tories were only too willing to prey on people’s fear of crime and enter into a sentencing arms race conducted in the pages of tabloid newspapers. Both sides continue to try to frighten the public into the arms of their party. It is this politics of fear that has created the dismal bidding war between politicians and the press on crime, a loss of faith in the police and judiciary, and the systematic demonisation of young people.

Rabid rhetoric has helped to criminalise a generation of young people. Britain is the sick man of Europe in terms of youth justice. We have the lowest age of criminal responsibility and highest rate of youth imprisonment. In Labour’s first decade in power, a million children were convicted of a criminal offence and another million were cautioned. After the ridiculous top-down targets of 2002 (where fining a child for littering or cannabis was given the same points value as solving a murder), the police found children were easy pickings. As a result, the number of children entering the criminal justice system rose two and a half times faster than adults.

We now spend 11 times more on locking children up than on projects to stop them sliding into crime in the first place. Yet incarceration just increases the likelihood of turning them into serious adult offenders. There are more people in the colleges of crime we call our prisons than ever before. More places are being built. Sentences are getting longer. But it is not working. Reoffending remains sky-high. Nine out of every 10 young men sentenced to a first short custodial sentence get out of prison and commit more crime. Yet the politics of fear dictates that both the Tories and Labour are pledging to send more people to prison for longer just because it sounds tough. Liberal Democrats would not build more prisons. We are the only party brave enough to suggest that rigorous community sentences are more effective than short prison sentences.

The debate about crime in this country desperately needs to be raised above the populist pandering of what sounds “tough”. It needs to be about what actually works to cut crime. Labour and the Tories would like you to think that locking people up has led to less crime. The evidence suggests otherwise. We have the second highest crime rate in Europe (after Sweden) and yet the highest rate of incarceration (except for Luxembourg). Other countries, such as Denmark, have managed to take advantage of falling crime rates to reduce their prison populations. Yet Labour and the Tories remain wedded to multi-billion pound plans to lock more people up.

The Liberal Democrats will not peddle the politics of fear. This is the promise we will make to voters in the run up to the election. This is the promise my colleague David Howarth made this week at the screening of the new film the Fear Factory (see you see a trailer here), which exposes our criminal justice crisis with forensic precision. It is a promise Maria Eagle refused to make because she knew Labour colleagues could not and would not keep it. The Conservative party was so scared of the question that Dominic Grieve dodged it by refusing to turn up. They both remain as committed to the law and order arms race as ever.

Instead of posturing on penalties, the Liberal Democrats will focus on proven methods of catching criminals and cutting crime. We will put criminal justice on an evidence-based footing by establishing a National Crime Reduction Agency to test properly what cuts crime. It will do for policing and criminal justice policy what the National Institute for Clinical Excellence does for the health service. We need all the evidence we can get if we are to get other politicians and the media to concentrate on what works rather than what scares.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Chris Huhne

“Labour has been just as guilty as the Tories of posturing on penalties and peddling fear,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on Gordon Brown’s speech on crime and anti-social behaviour, Chris Huhne said: “Labour has been just as guilty as the Tories of posturing on penalties and peddling fear.

“Labour and the Conservatives have indulged in a sentencing arms race in a desperate attempt to look tough, rather than back more police officers which is the best way to cut crime.”

For women who use drugs, violence may almost be accepted as part and parcel of an involvement in the drugs scene. For some women in the drug scene, violence or the fear of violence is not only coming from within the home, from partners or loved ones, but from the street, friends houses, etc. Being robbed, raped, abused, or humiliated, are some of the issues they face daily.

Getting out of “the drug life’ is, for some women, a prospect that is riddled with complications and barriers. Some have been abused their whole lives, with stories of such despair. Women are often excluded from services because; ‘we don’t take drug users’ ‘she could cause too much trouble’ ‘we have children here’ ‘other women won’t like it’ ‘what if she OD’s’ ‘what if she brings drugs onto the premises’ ‘we aren’t properly trained’ ‘we don’t have enough staff’ etc…. It is essential that we all examine our own reasons for excluding drug-using women from services; encouraging them not discouraging.

Women’s Aid are actively using drug-using women in our Service User Group, finding ways to get to know their lives and understand their problems. We want to help them to understand they don’t have to tolerate violence against them, that violence is unacceptable. We encourage them into volunterring and training to help bring about positive personal change.

Drug-using residents have told us they are often labelled as junkies, the crackhead, tramp etc., when in fact some of them are trying so hard to cope with being dealt a bad hand. We should all ensure that women who use drugs come to know that they will not be excluded, will not be judged and will not have to expect less protection than a non-drug-using woman.

  Ahead of the debate in the House of Commons on the renewal of the use of control orders for another year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne has written to the Conservatives to ask them if they will be voting against this renewal in the debate. 

Chris Huhne said: “We should not be the sort of country where ministers put people under house arrest without them even knowing the accusations against them. Control orders are pure Kafka and must end.

“Control orders are a constant reproach to Labour’s liberal credentials. The Conservatives have promised to vote with us against them but have repeatedly bottled out of doing so.

“Their line seems to be ‘Lord, make me liberal but not yet’.”

HUMBERSIDE POLICE is asking members of the local community for help in identifying property that was located in the West Yorkshire area.

Officers from West Yorkshire Police located the property in the Wakefield area as part of police investigation into alleged burglaries.

The people involved in the alleged burglaries are suspected of posing as officials for utility companies and gaining access to elderly people’s homes to carry out burglaries.

Officers believe that the many items located could have been stolen from people across the North of England.

To view the items please visit http://www.safelinks.info/newsflash-new.htm.

If you recognise any of the items stolen then please call either Humberside Police, tel: 0845 60 60 222 or contact DS Dave Watts at Wakefield District CID on 01924 206223.

The Government has set all police forces a target to raise public confidence.

In order to help Humberside Police achieve this, we sought your views in response to key questions asked locally in your area:

In North East Lincolnshire, 65.3% of people agreed that the police and local council are dealing with  anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in this area.

When the same people were asked about the police alone 69.9% of people agreed that the police are dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in this area.

For Humberside Police Area as a whole 65.2% of people agreed that the police and local council are dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in this area.

For Humberside Police Area as a whole 69.5% of people agreed that the police are dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in this area.

The Force is particularly pleased to receive a ‘good’ grading in the recent Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) inspection of our delivery of the Policing Pledge to you. For more information on this click here.

The Government has set every force a target to raise public confidence that the police and local council are dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter locally.

The proportion of people surveyed in each of the following areas agree that the police and local council are dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in their area.

Area Proportion

Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership (This covers the North East Lincolnshire area) 65.3%  

Safer Neighbourhoods (This covers the North Lincolnshire area) 65.0%

Safe Communities Partnership  (This covers the East Riding of Yorkshire area) 65.9%  

Hull Citysafe (This covers the Kingston upon Hull area) 64.6%

Humberside Police Force area 65.2%

These are the results of a telephone survey that was conducted in these areas which asked local people whether they agree that:

“The police and local council are dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in this area”.

Care should be taken in making comparisons in local indicators that have used different survey techniques.

The survey is based on a quota sample of people in the local area. The use of a quota sample seeks to ensure the results are broadly representative of the local population. Quota samples may inadvertently introduce unknown sources of statistical bias.

For answers to some of the frequently asked questions about why the Home Office is requiring forces to measure public confidence please click here.

The latest reported crime figures for the East Marsh Ward where released today by Humberside Police, and were posted on their website. 

The crime figures show that the average number of crimes in the ward has decreased (note: the figure are taken over a 3 month period and compared with the same 3 months last year).

In the same period crime across the whole of North East Lincolnshire has decreased by 19.7%.

Ø      Overall level of crime in the ward has decreased by 17.5% (Over the last 12 months)

Ø      Burglary has decreased by 43.8%

Ø      Robbery has decreased by 27.3%

Ø      Vehicle crime has increased by 23.4%

Ø      Violence has decreased by 13.8%

Ø      Anti-social behaviour has increased by 7.3% 

To view latest crime statistics for the North East Lincolnshire area >>>>CLICK HERE (as well as finding details of overall crime you can find crime level per ward, i.e.: East Marsh, Heneage, Yarborough, Croft Baker, etc.)

  “The system is not working and today’s announcement does nothing to address that,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth. 

  Responding to Jack Straw’s announcement that the Government’s early release scheme is to be brought to an end, David Howarth said: “The news that this ill-thought-out scheme is to be scrapped is welcome.

“But the real scandal is not just the offenders released early who commit more crimes – it is the sky-high levels of reoffending across the board. The system is not working and today’s announcement does nothing to address that.

“Prison should be reserved for serious and violent offenders. If the Government were not so obsessed with filling our prisons with people who should not be there, such as drug addicts and the mentally ill, they would not be forced to let out dangerous criminals before they have served their sentence.”

  Police officers have missed nearly 80,000 days of work after being assaulted by members of the public in the last five years, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. 

  The key points are:

Ø       78,276 working days have been missed by police officers due to assaults between 2004/05 and 2008/09.

Ø       17,055 days were lost last year alone, an 11.2% increase on the previous year.

Ø       This is the equivalent of reducing the number of police officers in England and Wales by 75.

Ø       Police staff also lost 5,398 working days to assault in the last five years (including 1,118 days last year).  

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “We want more bobbies on the beat, not bobbies being beaten.

“These startling figures show just how difficult a job being a police officer can be.

“Violence is clearly all too common on our streets when thousands of police working days are being lost as officers recover from assaults.

“Every effort must be made to try to get injured officers back to work as quickly as possible, even if that means lighter duties or paperwork.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to increasing police numbers. We will put 3,000 more bobbies on the beat.”

Earlier today on BBC’s the Politics Show the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson defended the government’s stance on the retention of the DNA records of innocent people. 

He said the government’s approach was now in line with European standards, after its previously policy of indefinite retention was rule unlawful under EU law. 

“Those people who were arrested but not convicted, for a period of 6 years they have a higher propensity to be arrested than the rest of the population,” he said. 

In response to the Home Secretary, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne criticised the government’s method of tracking criminals, saying that the system it used meant it was “becoming less effective”. 

“No other country has gone down this route,” Chris Huhne said, referring to the DNA database which includes the details of some people who were not convicted of crimes. 

“The real truth about this database is government has all the wrong people on it.” 

He urged the importance of striking “a balance between traditional hard won civil liberties and excessive intrusiveness.” 

“We could get that balance much better if we put criminals onto the database not the innocent,” he added. 

“I can show you at least five other ways which are more cost effective than what the government is doing,” Chris Huhne argued. 

Recently, Chris Huhne had revealed that in 2008 there were 2.3m people on the Police National Computer for a conviction, caution, reprimand or warning who were not in the DNA database.  

“Among the most serious offenders are those serving long sentences that began before 2002 and they are the most likely not to be on the DNA database,” he said.  

“The government’s policy puts the wrong people on the database while leaving some of the most dangerous criminals off it.”

The Tories have reacted angrily to reports that whilst there are almost a million innocents on the national DNA database, thousands of potentially dangerous criminals may not be on the national database.

The Home Office has admitted that only the “vast majority” of the 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales are on the database.

In response, the Tories have accused the government of pursuing a policy of growing the database for the sake of it.

Shadow immigration minister Damian Green said: “It is shocking that the government has no idea how many dangerous criminals do not have their DNA on the database.

“They seem more concerned with collecting the data of innocent people than convicted criminals.

“The database should help the police. So let’s concentrate on where it can help the police most.”

The Home Office announced recently that it will be changing the current law on whose DNA can be taken. As it stands, only those convicted of a serious offence since the database’s introduction in 1995 can have their profile added. The law change will see anyone convicted of a serious offence before 1995 added to the database at the police’s discretion.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said the Home Office had revealed in 2008 that there were 2.3m people on the Police National Computer for a conviction, caution, reprimand or warning who were not in the DNA database.  

“Among the most serious offenders are those serving long sentences that began before 2002 and they are the most likely not to be on the DNA database,” Chris Huhne said.  

“The government’s policy puts the wrong people on the database while leaving some of the most dangerous criminals off it.”

Humberside Police Authority yesterday (16th February 2010) agreed the budget for policing the area served by the Humberside Police in 2010-11 and in doing so kept the increase in the police part of the council tax to just 2.5%. 

When considering the budget, the Authority was keen to protect the significant reductions in crime and disorder that have been achieved over the last five years along with the number of offenders brought to justice. Members were also determined to maintain or improve visibility of frontline staff in neighbourhoods. However, they also recognised the equal challenge of responding to threat of serious and organised crime by providing the Chief Constable with the resources to help keep local people safe.  

The budget for 2010-11 was therefore set at £184.593M. The policing precept, the element of the locally raised council tax that goes towards policing, was increased by 2.5% which means that an average household (Band D) will pay £166.47 a year for policing, an increase of £4.06, which is less than 8 pence a week.  

Like all public sector organisations, Humberside Police Authority will face some demanding financial decisions over the next three to five years as funding becomes even tighter. With foresight, last March the Police Authority required the Chief Constable to achieve £15M in efficiency savings and therefore prepare the organisation to be in a strong position to meet the future challenges. 

Chair of the Authority, Alene Branton MBE, explained: “We have already asked the Chief Constable to deliver some significant savings over the next five years while maintaining frontline policing services, which is what really matters to local people. Protecting previous years’ investment was a driving factor in our considerations, but we also wanted to keep any increases to the taxpayer as low as we could.

“We feel that we have found the right balance. The Chief Constable’s work in response to the Authority’s direction has helped us to set a budget that will preserve local policing services and help to keep people safe from harm by disrupting serious and organized crime.” 

It was stressed at the meeting that the Force is continuing to strengthen neighbourhood policing, and is working on a programme to eliminate waste and duplication from all business areas. Every opportunity to increase police visibility will be taken, including the use of specialist police staff in positions where it is not necessary to have a fully warranted police officer. 

Further opportunities for collaboration with other forces and joint working with partner agencies are also being explored for future potential, to make further efficiency savings. 

Ms Branton concluded, saying: “The Authority and the Force remain in a relatively strong financial position thanks to prudent financial management over the years. Importantly for local people, we have also managed to continue our support of PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) who have proved so popular with local people.  We know how important it is to people to have a local policing team and we will do everything we can to preserve the current position.”

The Ministry of Justice have today, announced that are dropping plans to build a prison in Barking in East London. 

The announcement was welcomed by local campaigners and local MP for Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas who said the decision was a huge victory for the campaign against the prison.

In a statement posted on his website he said: “Our campaign against the plan for a massive prison on the old Ford site at Beam Park West has succeeded with the announcement that the Ministry of Justice has now decided against any further consideration of building Dagenham prison.

“We successfully made the argument that it was the wrong place for such a project.

“Despite London Mayor Boris Johnson having offered the land, Justice Secretary Jack Straw was convinced that it was not the right option.

“This was a huge victory for people power - thousands of local people signed up to the campaign and said no to Dagenham prison.“

The proposed 1,500-place jail was due for construction at Beam Park West, the site of an old Ford factory.

But a spokesman for the Government department said the cost of protecting the site against the risk of flooding was too high.

Last April, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced plans for five 1,500-place prisons, with the first two in Barking and at Runwell, near Colchester in Essex.

This is yet again another set-back for the Ministry of Justice who only last were forced to drop their plans for giant Titan prisons which would have held 2,500 prisoners each.

Officials said the Runwell prison plans were still on track. New sites for prisons in London and the South East, where there is a significant shortage of places, are being examined and a shortlist will be published in the summer.

They reiterated the Government’s target for increasing prison capacity in England and Wales to 96,000 by 2014.

  Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: “In the current financial climate, it is incredible that both Labour and the Tories remain wedded to a multi-billion pound expansion of the prison estate.

  “Short prison sentences do not reduce reoffending or cut crime. The country can no longer afford this kind of expensive posturing.

“The priority for public spending has to be health and education, not building prisons that do not work to cut crime.”

Recently, a large number of readers have reported receiving telephone calls from companies making out they are connected with Government Schemes to perform security checks with the offer of free or reduced price burglar alarm systems.

Safelinks advises that if you where to consider the installation of a burglar alarm you should engage the services of a local burglar alarm installer recommended by relatives, friends or neighbours. In any case before allowing anyone into your home you should check with the local trading standards department at council offices.

Humberside Police in North East Lincolnshire provide a free home security check and upgrade by trained fitters. Please telephone Jane Taylor on 01472 324988/324987 for appointment for this very useful service. The Police fitters are experienced in the methods used by burglars in this area and so will help you to avoid a nasty experience.

Any problem contact Safelinks; click HERE  

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting 3,000 more police on the street,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on Government figures which show that spending on overtime for police officers went up by nearly 50% in just five years, Chris Huhne said: “Spurious and unnecessary overtime must end but not at the expense of frontline policing.

“Three quarters of forces have made it clear that large overtime expenditure is due to a lack of police.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting 3,000 more police on the street.”

Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, Norman Baker recently announced his support for the Lib Dem General Election pledge to add an additional 56 bobbies on the beat in Sussex.

The announcement comes as part of a national pledge by the Lib Dems, announced last week by the Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, and the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne, to put an additional 3,000 police on the streets of the UK as part of the launch of the Lib Dems’ Safer Streets - More and Better Police paper.

The Lib Dem proposals also include moves towards more effective policing by removing red tape and cutting bureaucracy, ensuring that police officers are freed up to spend more time on the streets.

Norman Baker said: “Although crime is mercifully relatively low in my constituency, people do feel safer when they see a regular uniformed presence on the streets. I am therefore pleased to announce the Lib Dem Election pledge to do just that by providing additional officers and freeing up the current ones from laborious form-filling, we will achieve this.”

The additional officers will be funded by scrapping the government’s I.D card scheme.

Norman Baker added: “The Lib Dems are the only party that wants to cut crime by putting more police on the street and I would certainly rather have more police, catching more criminals, than an intrusive, expensive and unnecessary I.D card scheme.”

Local people’s views are driving changes in police service delivery thanks to Humberside Police Authority’s consultation and scrutiny.  

To ensure that Humberside Police are delivering a service that meets the needs of local communities the Police Authority recently launched its own Citizen’s Panel to test local opinions. The Panel involves nearly 6,000 residents from across the Humber area being regularly asked, by phone or letter, for their views on issues relating to policing.

The first results have just been received and show that, with the support and scrutiny of the Police Authority, local people now have very high levels of confidence in their local police and partners. Panel members were asked whether they ‘agreed or disagreed that the police and local council are dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in this area?’ In response, 65% of residents agreed with this statement - a significantly greater proportion than when asked the same question in June last year.  When asked what the top three policing issues that are important for Humberside Police to deal with the Panel said: 

Ø     Drug dealing/taking;

Ø     Violent crime;

Ø     Burglary. 

Alene Branton MBE, Chair of the Police Authority, said: ”Over the years this Authority has listened carefully to what local people tell us and has acted upon that information. We have driven improvements to call handling, CRB checks and a reduction in the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour. 

“It’s important that people tell us what they think about the service they receive so that we can learn from this, particularly where there is good practice and areas where improvements are necessary.

“We will now take the views of the Panel forward and use them to set clear priorities for the Chief Constable and his staff in 2010/11. I am delighted that residents have such high confidence in their local police and, over the coming year, I would like to continue asking the Panel whether the efforts of the Police Force and Police Authority are maintaining or increasing that confidence.” 

As well as the Citizens Panel, the Police Authority continues to work in supporting other methods by which communities can talk about the policing issues that matter to them. One example of this work has been the launch of a dedicated programme of consultation and engagement for people from diverse and minority communities. The aim is to identify any emerging issues for specific communities so that they can be addressed quickly and effectively. 

The Authority will also publish regular updates on the outcomes of its consultation and feedback how this has been used to drive change and improvements to the wider service delivery in Humberside policing area.

SMARTER APPROACHES LEAD TO BEST CRIME MONTH EVER 

JANUARY 2010 has seen the lowest number of monthly recorded crimes across the North East Lincolnshire region since records began, in 1996, meaning 57 fewer victims of crime in our area compared to the highest recorded crime figure of 3069 in March 2004. 

It is no secret that national targets are tight and changes have been made to the way in which the police work alongside the multitude of communities that make up North East Lincolnshire. 

These have been made in order to improve the quality service delivered to residents and businesses across the region. 

They have led to ongoing reductions in area’s such as burglary and night time economy related violence which can have a lasting impact on victims. 

It shows that the division is moving in the right direction but we are striving to achieve further reductions and build on public confidence in the future. 

To put these reductions into perspective, January 1997 saw a total of 2071 recorded crimes which actually rose to a peak of 2879 in January 2004 however this year January 2010 has seen just 1309 crimes being recorded across the division. 

Detective Chief Insp Bob Clark said: “It is pleasing to see the ongoing hard work throughout the division is starting to bear fruit however there will be members of public out there who still feel we could do more to improve on the service we deliver and that is what we intend to do. 

“Along with our partners, we are constantly looking at new ways to tackle crime and disorder issues that cause the most concern throughout the area and how to encourage members of public to work with us in order to make North East Lincolnshire a safer place to live, work or visit. 

“For example, making residents aware of emerging issues as soon as we identify them and advising on how to reduce the chances of being targeted has seen significant reductions in burglary in area’s traditionally targeted by criminals. This is just one example of how we are looking at involving our communities more in order make life harder for those looking to commit crime. 

“Although we feel there are still further improvements to be made in areas such as satisfaction and in particular the perceptions of crime and disorder across the area these figures certainly show that we are moving in the right direction and it is to be hoped that residents will look at what they can do to support our work in the future to continue reducing the number of crimes and victims across North East Lincolnshire.”

The outcomes of a mystery shopping programme to check how well Humberside Police are performing in relation to key strands of the Policing Pledge have been revealed by Humberside Police Authority at its Communities and Partnerships Committee meeting. Overall, the Force was found to be continuing to deliver the high standards required by the Pledge although the mystery shoppers were able to identify some areas where the Force can take steps to improve delivery even further.  

Mystery shopping is increasingly used to ascertain how well a service is being provided in both the public and private sector. It involves contracting a company or organisation to make unannounced visits to counters and calls to switchboards requesting routine information. The quality of the service is then reported on and graded. Humberside Police Authority has used mystery shoppers previously, in 2007 and 2005, and the 2009 programme provides a level of comparison to be drawn against the previous results. Key findings include: 

Ø       Significant improvements in many areas when compared to the results from 2007;

Ø       The excellent levels of personal service provided by PCSOs;

Ø       A need to improve the provision of information on opening times and public meetings and the way in which some telephone calls are handled. 

The Police Authority, which is the independent local ‘watchdog’ for policing, has a responsibility to drive improvements in the service provided on behalf of the public. Through its own scrutiny, supported by the mystery shopping exercise, the Authority is confident that there have been significant improvements to service delivery since 2007.   

A key finding from the mystery shopper exercise was the consistently high levels of personal service provided at police station counters, particularly by PCSOs who provided reassurance through the information they gave and the emphasis on public safety. 

Welcoming this verification of the value of PCSOs, Alene Branton MBE, Chair of the Police Authority, said: “The Police Authority is particularly pleased to have impartial confirmation that these PSCOs are providing help and reassurance to the public. The Authority has worked hard over the last few years to provide both the necessary funding and people to enable the delivery of a local service that makes people feel safe and reassured. I am delighted to see Humberside’s PCSOs doing exactly what the Authority wanted.”  

Although the standard of ‘face to face’ contact was consistently high, mystery shoppers did feel there was room for improvement in the manner and telephone skills of some switchboard operators.  

Alene Branton commented: “The public told us very clearly how important it was for calls to be answered swiftly. With the encouragement and support of the Police Authority the Force is now one of the top performing forces in the speed with which it answers the phone. We know that the quality of the conversation with the majority of calls is also very high but we need to make sure the way in which operators listen and respond does not suffer due to speed. We will ask the Force to look at this aspect of their work and we will use mystery shopping again in order to ensure service is improved.” 

The work of the Mystery Shoppers has been supported by Police Authority Members who have also been out in their communities and visiting stations to make personal scrutiny checks on the quality and consistency of local policing. 

Both pieces of work showed that ‘Access to services and fairness’ at stations was well maintained and public areas were accessible. All divisions were found to have an evident commitment to the visibility of patrols, with a logical rationale for the times and locations for deployment of officers.  There was also clear evidence that Neighbourhood Teams have systems in place to both receive and respond to messages from the public. Ways to improve the provision of information on Neighbourhood Policing Teams, particularly when stations are closed, have been put forward as a result of the inspections made. 

Ros Taylor, MBE, Vice Chair of the Communities and Partnership Committee, said she was pleased with the level of scrutiny provided by the Authority in relation to the Policing Pledge, and pointed out that the findings were very positive. “One of the main aims of the Policing Pledge is to ensure equality of access and services for all members of the community,“ she said. “As an Authority we are pleased to see that Humberside Police is generally meeting the standards of the Pledge so well.   

“It’s important that both the Mystery Shopping and the members own visits considered policing by putting themselves in the public’s shoes. Scrutinising things from the user’s angle is an illuminating experience and I believe that this approach will bring further improvements to customer service for our residents. 

“Where there are areas highlighted for improvement, the Authority, acting on behalf of the public will make suggestions as to how service can be improved and equally, where good practice has been identified, we will seek to have that replicated across all the divisions. The Authority has asked the Chief Constable to respond on the progress made at the next meeting of the Communities and Partnerships Committee in May.”

Figures released this week from Humberside Police show that crime levels in the borough are heading in the right direction.  

2009 was a successful year in terms of crime levels and January this year was the most successful on record. The news about January was reported on this website and in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph; however, the headline should have been very positive but instead it turned out to be somewhat negative.  

Chief Superintendent David Hilditch who is passionate about North East Lincolnshire was delighted about the latest crime figures, but not with the way it was reported in the media, David therefore as decided to put pen to paper in article for this website: 

Chief Superintendent David Hilditch, Divisional Commander for the police in North East Lincolnshire said: “The latest monthly crime figures for January 2010 are an incredibly good news story for us. January’s crime figures are the lowest since we started our computerised system in 1996. From what I remember of the rate crime was increasing in the late nineties I would guess that this is the lowest figure for some years before even 1996. 

“This is brilliant news for North East Lincolnshire. Sadly, the way this story was reported in the Grimsby Telegraph yesterday (Thursday 4th February) turned this brilliant news into a bit of a damp squib by focusing on a debate about unreported crime. By doing that I think the Telegraph missed the point. 

“There has always been and always will be an unknown number of crimes that are not reported to the police. This is what criminologists call ‘The dark figure of unreported crime’ because we can never know for sure how many crimes are not reported. It stands to reason that people will not report each and every crime maybe because the crime is very minor, or because they don’t think whoever did it is likely to be identified or because it’s just too much trouble. 

“The British Crime Survey which is based on a public survey carried out in a consistent way over many years also shows that crime is falling, so we can be confident that the trend shown by our crime figures is valid and true. 

“January’s figures come on top of excellent figures for October, November and December which made 2009 a very good year for us. February has got off to a good start as well. 

“I would hope that we would all want to see a safe and prosperous area with low crime levels and so I am disappointed that some people choose to assume that good results for North East Lincolnshire can’t be true. We’ve got something to celebrate here. 

“The story behind the figures is that we have relentlessly been targeting the top offenders and some of the prison sentences we have seen in the last year have been very pleasing. At the other end of the scale we have been working very closely with the Youth Offending Service and many other partners to keep kids out of trouble. 

“Reports of anti-social behaviour are also down massively. I know that anti-social behaviour is an important priority for many people and we are working harder than ever to tackle it. In November we passed a milestone of 100 ASBOs being granted at court and behind that there are many more cases that are successfully being dealt with without the formality of an ASBO. 

“North East Lincolnshire is becoming an increasingly safe area for us all to live and work because of the efforts of many people and many organisations. All of these people and organisations should have a share of the credit. Let’s not talk down our area but celebrate our successes instead.” 

The table below shows the improvements made last year.

Today, the Grimsby Evening Telegraph are reporting that figures from Humberside Police showed that 1,309 incidents were reported to the police in January in North East Lincolnshire the lowest number since records began in 1996. 

The is great news for our local communities and as a member of Humberside Police Authority and Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Public Protection, I am highly delighted with the figures. 

However, the Grimsby Telegraph have led with the headlines “Readers fear drop in number of offences is due to apathy”, and “Have you been a victim of crime?”

I can understand the Telegraph and the general public’s scepticism but if you are a victim of burglary you surely have to report the crime to claim on your insurance – that is logical. 

In today’s Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Chief Superintendent David Hilditch who heads policing in North East Lincolnshire (A Division), said: “There has always been a gap between the crime that is committed and what is actually reported.

“However, that is what the British Crime Survey is for and that tells us there are reductions too and I want to reassure people that is the case.”

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Clark said: “It is pleasing to see the ongoing hard work throughout the division is starting to bear fruit, however, there will be members of the public out there who still feel we could do more to improve on the service we deliver and that is what we intend to do.

“We feel there are still further improvements to be made in areas such as satisfaction and, in particular, the perceptions of crime and disorder across the area are moving in the right direction.”

Councillor Steve Beasant, a member of Humberside Police Authority and Portfolio Holder for Community Safety in North East Lincolnshire said: “First of all this is very good news for our local communities, and I can well understand why members of our communities do not believe the figures.

“But let’s be clear about these figures burglary has reduced dramatically and people have to report burglary to claim from their insurance company. Therefore, I have confidence that the rest of the figures are accurate.

”We have seen massive reductions in burglary and car crime just to single out two particular areas, but even so I am not complacent and crime is still relatively high in some of our neighbourhoods, and it is so easy to take easy measures to stamp it out once and for all. My advice to local residents is to make sure that you lock all your doors and windows; and don’t become a victim of the “sneak thief”, also don’t leave any valuable in your vehicle when it is unattended – these are easy measure for us as partnership to reduce burglary and car crime even further.

“We know our partnership is working well. We are seeing high visible police patrols, more Community Wardens out on the Streets, Shoreline Housing Partnership are taking action against problem tenants – we have recently been recognised by the Home Office for good quality delivery of our partnership working.

“I do recognise that violent crime is still too high, and this making people feel uneasy. But this is a difficult problem to tackle; the problem stems from cheap supermarket alcohol and we need to get to grips with this.

“I think if we can get to grips with the problem of violence; then the community will feel a lot safer.

“We also need to tackle low-level issues – which may even include things like dog fouling – which in effect make people think crime is much higher in their area.”

The Liberal Democrats will today set out their General Election plans to put 3,000 more police out on the beat to cut crime. 

Launching Safer Streets – More and Better Police during a visit to Durham today, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg and Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne will reveal research showing that:

Ø       Police numbers have fallen in 18 out of the 43 police forces (42%) in England and Wales since 2005. Two thirds of these police authorities are currently controlled by the Tories and one third by Labour

Ø       The new officers proposed under Liberal Democrat plans could be expected to make an additional 27,500 arrests and solve more than 24,500 extra crimes each year in England and

The plans to cut crime through more and better policing also include:

Ø     Elected police authorities

Ø     Publishing detection data as well as crime data at ward level

Ø     A review of the restrictive terms and conditions for police officers, including introducing an annual fitness check for all officers on the beat 

Commenting, Nick Clegg said: “The Liberal Democrats are the only party that wants to cut crime by putting more police on the street.“When only one in a hundred crimes ends up with a conviction in court, it is time for things to change.

“Labour and the Conservatives may talk tough but they are unwilling to make the crucial decisions to cut crime.”

Commenting further, Chris Huhne added: “With so many forces seeing cuts in numbers, this is the right time to be promising a longer arm for the law.

“The Liberal Democrats would rather have more police officers and catch more criminals than continue with unnecessary and expensive ID cards.

“Getting more police on the beat and reforming the way they work is the only way to create safer streets.”

Today, the Liberal Democrats are to outline plans to put 3,000 more police officers on the beat over four years. 

Under the plan, funded by savings from scrapping identity cards, which the party said would save £575 million - all forces in England, Wales and Scotland would get extra money to boost force numbers.  

  The Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg will say Labour has “talked tough” on crime but police numbers have fallen in 40% of forces in England and Wales since 2005.  

  Launching the Liberal Democrats policing manifesto for the general election, Nick Clegg will claim that the Lib Dems are the “only party” committed to putting more officers on the beat.  

The party plans to provide an extra £575m for police recruitment, enabling every police force in England, Wales and Scotland to boost full-time police numbers.  

Any such move in Scotland would be dependent on approval by the SNP-led government in Edinburgh.

 Although it would be up to individual forces to allocate resources as they see fit, the Lib Dems say they hope to see 3,000 more officers on the beat by the end of the next Parliament.  

The party estimates the resource boost would give London an extra 595 officers while Greater Manchester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire would all see a three-figure rise in numbers.  

The party will question Labour’s record by publishing research suggesting 18 out of 43 forces in England and Wales have seen a fall in full-time police numbers since 2005.  

On a visit to Durham, Nick Clegg will say that - notwithstanding acute spending pressures - extra funding must be found. “The Liberal Democrats are the only party that wants to cut crime by putting more police on the street. 

“When only one in a hundred crimes end up with a conviction in court, it is time for things to change,” he will say. 

“Labour and the Conservatives may talk tough but they are unwilling to make the crucial decisions to cut crime.”  

The Liberal Democrats will also call for all police officers to undergo an annual fitness check-up and say they will review pay, conditions and terms of employment across the service.

Almost half of the Government’s Criminal Justice legislation passed since 1997 has not been fully implemented, figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats reveal. 

A Government statement published today shows that:

Ø       Of 19 Criminal Justice Acts since 1997, there are 68 sections and 25 schedules as yet unimplemented

Ø       Nine of the 19 Acts contain provisions that have never been implemented

Ø       These include Custody Plus, which was never implemented due to ‘resource constraints’ and which the Government admits it has no plans to ever carry through, as well as the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses  

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “This Government’s legislative diarrhoea is best demonstrated in the field of criminal justice.

“It is astonishing that Labour are pressing ahead with yet more law in this area when half of the Acts they’ve passed in power have not been fully implemented.

“This is a Government that has created over 4,000 new criminal offences since taking office and spread confusion among police officers and judges. This torrent of rubbish has to stop.”

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting more police on the streets,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on reports today that the Tories have distributed misleading figures on violent crime, Chris Huhne said: “It seems that the Tories will go to ever increasing lengths to make David Cameron’s ridiculous claims about broken society seem credible.

“Before they start to point the finger on violent crime, the Tories should consider their own record – violent crime rose every year between 1979 and 1997 and nearly doubled overall.

“Instead of fiddling figures, Chris Grayling should think of some policies.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting more police on the streets, and have the best record of cutting crime in Lib Dem controlled council areas.”

The Grimsby Evening Telegraph on their website is reporting that reported crime has fallen dramatically, they report: “Crime in North East Lincolnshire has fallen to its lowest levels since records began.

“Figures released by Humberside Police show that, in January, there were 1309 crimes reported to police – the lowest figure since monthly records began in 1996.”

Earlier this afternoon, I gave the Grimsby Evening Telegraph an interview about the latest statistics; they asked me: “Do I believe the information is accurate, when members of the public don’t actually believe the figures?”

I told the reporter that: “First of all this is very good news for our local communities, and I can well understand why members of our communities do not believe the figures. But let’s be clear about these figures burglary has reduced dramatically and people have to report burglary to claim from their insurance company. Therefore, I have confidence that the rest of the figures are accurate.”

A further update on the local crime figures will appear on the Grimsby Evening Telegraph website and this website shortly.

“It is astonishing that the Government remains so committed to control orders when they have taken such a beating in the courts,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on the Government’s decision to continue to use control orders on terror suspects, Chris Huhne said: “It is astonishing that the Government remains so committed to control orders when they have taken such a beating in the courts.

“It is an affront to British justice to curtail people’s freedom and place them under de facto house arrest without even telling them why.

“The Tories have promised to vote against control orders before but have never shown enough political courage to do so.

“It is time they joined the Liberal Democrats in calling for this illiberal regime to be scrapped.”

A Government scheme to tackle violence in knife crime hot-spots has failed, Liberal Democrat analysis of Government statistics has found. 

Ministers launched the Tackling Knives Action Programme in 10 areas in June 2008, but hospital admissions for violence have increased by more than 2% in those areas and more than 3% elsewhere between 2007/08 and 2008/09.

The Government has also failed to roll out the hugely successful ‘Cardiff Model’, in which hospitals share information with police to identify violent crime hot spots, which reduced woundings by 40% in the city.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “This failure to cut violence is particularly shocking because ministers have failed to roll out methods across the country that have been proved to work in reducing woundings.
 
“A simple change where officers intensively police violence hot-spots identified from hospital data has been shown to reduce woundings by 40%, yet the Government has still failed to bang Home Office and Health Department heads together.”

Serial burglars who regularly re-offend have persistently avoided jail altogether despite the so-called “three-strikes-and-out” rule introduced in 1999 to crackdown on the repeat intruders, new figures show that almost a fifth avoided jail altogether.

Under the law any adult burglar convicted of their third domestic break-in should serve at least three years in prison unless the court considered there to be “exceptional circumstances”.

The Ministry of Justice have revealed that only a minority have been given the minimum term while hundreds more walked away from court with a community penalty or fine.

It comes amid a national debate over the rights of home owners to protect their property and family.

The minimum term was introduced in December 1999 under the Powers of Criminal Courts Act. By the end of 2008, the most recent date where figures have been provided, some 3,018 offenders were convicted of a third burglary.

But just 684 – or 22 per cent – of them have been handed three years or more while up to another 517 were given three years but then had time taken off for a guilty plea.

Some 463 offenders were not sent to prison at all, including 257 who were given a community sentence, 114 who had a prison suspended, eight who were handed a fine and 18 who were given a conditional discharge.

Of those who were sent to custody, more than 500 were given less than a year.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “Labour has concentrated on posturing on penalties rather than on catching criminals in a desperate attempt to look tough.

“Mandatory sentences undermine the expertise and independence of judges and as these figures show are all too easily ignored.

“Circumstances cannot be considered ‘exceptional’ if they are happening in the vast majority of cases.”

“Burglary rates have dropped by 41% in North East Lincolnshire since the beginning of September, bucking the national trend” 

Working together is essential to combat burglary. Safer and Stronger Communities brings all the responsible authorities and agencies together to help reduce burglaries in your area. We also offer crime prevention advice and support for victims. 

Reduce the risk! 

Be aware that you’re much less likely to be a victim of burglary if you take easy but effective steps to secure your home. 

Households with no security measures in place are 10 times more likely to be burgled than those with such simple security measures as window locks and deadlocks. 

The more secure your property, the less likely it is you will be burgled. Top tips to deter the burglars: 

Ø     Restrict access to your back garden by having a solid fence and lockable gate.

Ø     Always lock your doors and windows, even when just popping to the shops (or even when in the back garden).

Ø     Fit deadlocks to all outside doors - burglars hate them because you need a key to open them from the inside as well as the outside.

Ø     Put key operated locks on all downstairs or accessible windows - burglars don’t like having to smash windows because of the noise and the danger of cutting themselves.

Ø     Try to make sure your TV, DVD etc and other valuables can’t be seen through your windows.

Ø     Use a timer switch to turn lights and radios on when you are out or away to give the impression that your house is occupied.

Ø     Install a visible burglar alarm - and turn it on especially over night. 

Beat the bogus callers 

‘Distraction burglars’, or bogus callers, will distract you in order to get into your home to steal your money or belongings. If anyone you don’t know turns up at your door, you should always ask to see their identification before letting them in. 

Unfortunately, the elderly are especially vulnerable, but we are working with Age Concern, Help the Aged and the police to ensure they don’t fall victim to this particularly unpleasant crime. 

Follow our ‘Lock, Stop, Chain, Check’ advice below and keep yourself safe. 

Is your home secure? 

If you are concerned about your home security please contact our Safer Homes Scheme who will be able to visit and assess your security needs. They may also be able to improve your home security there and then. 

For more information or to book a visit please call the: Safer Homes Scheme 01472 324987 

Burglary in North East Lincolnshire  

Safer and Stronger Communities have made great progress in the fight to tackle burglary throughout the borough. We are working hard to make sure you and your belongings are save but we need your help; keep your windows and doors locked- don’t give burglars a chance. 

We have made significant progress in reducing burglary over the last year. From April to September 2009, there were:

Ø     29% less recorded burglaries meaning 240 less homes being burgled than at the same time last year.

Ø     A massive 41% less burglaries since the beginning of the year. 

As the recession took hold, the expectation was that burglary rates would rise. While this has happened in some areas of the country, in North East Lincolnshire the opposite is true. Burglaries have fallen from 126 in January to 76 in August. 

The partnership has worked hard to achieve reductions. Tactics have included focusing on our most prolific offenders, posting ‘hairy hands’ through doors and windows that have been left open and using new technology like Bluetooth to get messages in the hotspots. 

However, the reductions are not only down to the partnership - the public have played their part and by helping us we have been able to help them.

There are three mains ways that tobacco is made illegal Genuine, smuggled cigarettes Bootlegged cigarettes Counterfeit cigarettes Smuggled cigarettes are legally made in the UK then exported to other countries but while being shipped to other countries they are stolen and brought back into the UK avoiding tax.  

Most of the cigarettes are Regal’s and Super kings. Bootlegged cigarettes are legally produced in a country were the taxation is low, they are illegally brought into the country avoiding the duty, then they are sold on cheaply. Counterfeit cigarettes are produced under questionable H&S precautions, for example in a back room or cave in China.  

There is no control over the amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels. Counterfeit cigarettes may contain 75% more tar, 28% more nicotine and 36% more carbon monoxide. Why should you be concerned? Cheap cigarettes increase the risk of children getting hooked to them, it reduces the motivation of wanting to quit, and smokers tend to smoke more.  

It doesn’t just have its health risks though as it funds criminal activity, terrorism and prostitution. It can lead to small operators becoming major smugglers. Nine out of ten people (87%) agreed with the statement that illicit tobacco is “a danger to kids” because it can be obtained easily and cheaply. Why do people buy illegal tobacco then? People buy illegal tobacco because it is a lot cheaper than the real tobacco.  

Young people can access the illegal tobacco easy; they can afford it because of how cheap it is. Young people access it through what’s known as a “fag house” or a “tab house” some people even get there tobacco from street traders. If you have information on illegal tobacco or you want some general information on illegal tobacco please contact North East Lincolnshire by texting the word ‘cig’ to 82055 or ring Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111 or e-mail www.crimestoppers-uk.org. 

Recently, North East Lincolnshire Council with close working with their partners have had a great deal of success in dealing with illegal tobacco; the council recently appointed a new tobacco control officer. 

And, more than 40,000 illegal cigarettes have been seized in joint operations involving police, trading standards and HM Revenue & Customs officers, and the initial work of the tobacco control officer has been hailed a success.  

Two people had also been arrested, North East Lincolnshire Council said.  

John Seale, head of public protection at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “The tobacco control officer has already produced some good results.” 

Mr Seale said: “As the credit crunch hits us, the temptation to buy things from the bloke down the pub increases, but regardless of whether these are cheap imports or counterfeits there is a much greater risk that they may be unsafe as they are both unregulated and therefore untested.”  

Councillor Steve Beasant, the council’s portfolio holder for community safety and public protection, said: “The work that trading standards are doing is absolutely vital in protecting the public.  

“This haul in the first month represents a huge volume of potentially dangerous material being removed from sale, some of which no doubt would have ended up in the hands of our children.  

“This black market trade devastates legitimate retailers who pay their taxes and abide by the rules.

“They shouldn’t have to compete with criminals who sell untaxed and smuggled goods.”

Disturbing new figures show that there is an increasing “ladette culture”, which is leading to increased levels of violence. The figures show that assaults are the main reason for women being held by the police and they are proportionate more likely to be involved in violence than men.

The scale of the violence amongst females has now reached record levels, and figures reveal that a woman or girl is arrested every six minutes in Britain despite government claims that they are taking tough action.

There is also a growing trend of criminality among females after overall arrests grew while those among men decreased.

Of the 251,910 arrests of women and girls in 2007/08, which was up 300 on the previous year, some 88,139 – or 35 per cent – were for violence.

That was up of the 87,140 arrests the previous year, which was the first time violence overtook theft as the most common reason.

In contrast, just 31 per cent of the 1.2 million male arrests were for violence, although many more men than women continue to be arrested.

David Hanson, the policing minister, said: “Women commit less than a quarter of all violent crimes, but we know it has a devastating effect on communities.

“We are not complacent about any serious crime which is why we have invested heavily in tackling violence of all kinds through responsive policing, tough powers, and funding for prevention projects.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne added: “It is worrying evidence of a growing ladette culture.”

“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is encouraging ever greater numbers of people to drink unsafe amounts,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster.

Commenting on ONS reports today that reveal the number of people dying from alcohol is on the rise, while people from managerial and professional jobs drink more than those in manual jobs, Don Foster said: “The increase in the number of people dying because of alcohol clearly shows we are facing a serious health crisis.

“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is encouraging ever greater numbers of people to drink unsafe amounts.

“Today’s reports also shows there’s a danger that the country is in the grips of a hidden middle class drinking epidemic.

“Current measures to control drinking are not working. Stopping supermarkets from selling alcohol at pocket money prices would be a powerful tactic in stemming this increase.”

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to increasing police numbers of every area of the country,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne.

Commenting on figures showing the number of police officers has fallen in most forces, Chris Huhne said: “This is a worrying sign of what is to come as budgets are cut and numbers fall in over half of all police forces.

“Instead of squandering billions on ID cards, the Government should concentrate on getting more police officers out on the beat.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to increasing police numbers of every area of the country. It is time for the other parties to come clean about their plans.”

  “The Government’s desperation to circumvent Parliament is creating bad laws, legal defeats and hefty bills for the taxpayer,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

  Commenting on the Supreme Court ruling that special Treasury orders that freeze the assets of terror suspects are unlawful, Chris Huhne said: “Hot on the heels of the control orders embarrassment, another dubious Government measure has been deservedly slapped down by our courts.

“It is simply not acceptable for Labour to behave as if we are a banana republic and go around arbitrarily arresting people or confiscating their property without due process under the rule of law.

“The Government’s desperation to circumvent Parliament is creating bad laws, legal defeats and hefty bills for the taxpayer. It has to stop.”

“For too long hospital staff have had to cope with the impact of binge drinking,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb. 

Commenting on yesterday’s figures from the NHS Information Centre showing that 181,568 attendances in A&E last year were due to assault – equivalent to almost 500 each day – Norman Lamb said: “We know that alcohol is a key factor fuelling violent crime and these figures show that Britain’s hospitals have to bear the brunt of it.

“For too long hospital staff have had to cope with the impact of binge drinking while Labour has paid little more than lip service to the issue.

“We urgently need to stop alcohol being sold at pocket money prices and properly enforce existing laws if we’re to have any chance of reducing the number of violent assaults that A&E departments have to deal with.”

The Home Affairs select committee said the government must reconsider merging police forces and fund them properly to make sure that they are not coming under the same financial pressure as at present. 

The select committee also claims that forces also needed to think again about police back-office functions and using the private sector.  

Its report details wide variations in officer numbers and schemes designed to make forces more efficient.  

Some chief constables back mergers, but the idea was scrapped four years ago amid a row over the costs.  

The most recent Home Office figures showed there were more than 147,000 officers in England and Wales in 2009 - up 5% over five years.  

But despite the headline figures, almost a third of the forces have cut officer numbers - and many others are concerned that they will have to do the same because of financial pressures, irrespective of the outcome of the general election.  

The Association of Police Authorities warned the committee that a 10% cut in funding would mean a loss of 5,800 officers - although forces might be able to cut 5% without losing officers. 

The MPs said mergers of some forces should be explored - and that the Home Office had to fund it properly. Figures shown to the committee indicated that merging the relatively small Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire services would cost £20m - but ultimately save almost £15m a year.  

“We urge the government to consider how forces and authorities can be assisted with managing the up-front costs of reorganisation,” it concluded.  

“The long-term financial benefits should make this area of investment a priority.” 

The Home Office scrapped tentative merger proposals in 2006 after rows over whether the forces or central government would pay for the plans. A White Paper at the end of last year put voluntary mergers back on the table and forces have been told to save £500m by 2014.  

Police minister David Hanson said: “We must ensure we get value for money and that is why we set out savings opportunities for the police service in the White Paper.  

“By working smarter and working together forces can deliver even more for the money they receive.” 

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “This report is right to suggest that there needs to be a full and frank discussion about police numbers and budgets in the current economic climate.  

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting more police on the street. The other parties should make clear what their intentions are.”

  Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth has joined a national campaign calling for a major reform of the prison system after figures reveal that more people are locked up in the UK than by any other European democracy.  

David Howarth has given his backing to the campaign group, Make Justice Work, and signed a letter calling for change.  

“There is a crisis in the criminal justice system of staggering proportions,” David Howarth said. “The prison population is at a record high and costing the taxpayer billions of pounds.  

“It is imperative that we make changes and make them now. Community sentences have been badly under-funded and although we know that non-custodial sentences have been effective in reducing reoffending, they have been rarely used.  

“The government and the Tories are obsessed with talking about punishment and deterrence but we should be concentrating instead on restorative justice because it works.”  

Figures quoted by Make Justice Work reveal that 66 per cent of prisoners are sentenced to less than 12 months, the majority of whom have committed non-violent, low-level crime.  

Britain locks up more people than any other European democracy and the trend in the UK’s prison system now mirrors the US, the group claims.  

Now the Ministry of Justice must find £1.3 billion worth of cuts, yet if the trend in imprisonment continues the taxpayer will face a bill of a further £3 billion.

“Vehicle crime can occur in two forms: theft of a motor vehicle (stealing a car/van etc) or theft from a motor vehicle i.e. breaking into a car to steal a radio or sat nav.” 

Anyone who attends the East Marsh Involve will know that there’s been an increase in crimes relating to theft from a motor vehicle recently; due to people leaving their valuable in the car unattended. It is important that you follow the advice from Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership if you are not going to be victim of this type of crime. 

Most vehicle crime is opportunistic and therefore preventable. By following some straightforward advice, and working together, we can ensure that this type of crime once again returns to a downward trend in the East Marsh. 

Vehicle safety advice: 

Ø     Don’t leave anything on view in your car. Thieves are opportunists and it only takes them moments to break into your car.

Ø     Lock all doors and windows, not forgetting the sunroof, when leaving your car.

Ø     Never leave the keys in the ignition when the car is unattended, even while you’re paying for petrol.

Ø     Mark your satellite navigation equipment system with your postcode and house number or your vehicle registration number or another unique number, using special security markers.

Ø     Making a note of make, model and serial number of the equipment and keeping the note somewhere safe – not in the car. Consider recording this information on one of the commercially available asset registers.

Ø     Visit: www.parkmark.co.uk/ to see if there is a police approved car park in your town. Approved car parks display the official Park Mark plaque.

“The massive increase in prison building must cease and resources instead should be spent on sentences that actually reduce re-offending,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Minister, David Howarth. 

Commenting on today’s reports that the Tories are considering introducing prison ships, David Howarth said: “I’m appalled by this prison ships proposal, which will be taking criminal justice policy back two hundred years.

“It is essential that the General Election doesn’t result in a pointless arms race about crime, which will only end with a criminal justice system that fails to do what works and lead to more crime not less.

“The massive increase in prison building must cease and resources instead should be spent on sentences that actually reduce re-offending.”

Trading Standards officers at North East Lincolnshire Council are warning of a Yellow Pages lookalike scam that has appeared to have targeted small businesses in our area.

Investigations into the scam have revealed that, in other parts of the UK, schools, hotels and nursing homes have also been targeted.

Victim businesses are sent faxes which include apparent Yellow Pages branding, stating that an agreement to advertise in an online directory has been made, with an annual charge of £599.

The option of cancellation is offered by return faxing to a given fax number. Yet targeted businesses have been repeatedly contacted by the firm via phone, chasing payment despite being told no contract was ever agreed.

Andy Foster, trading standards manager, said: “Some local traders have been asked to submit or update their business details for a sham directory. They then receive invoices and requests for payment.

“If you have had an account with the authentic Yellow Pages in the past, our advice is to check with them using your original contact details. You should not respond to the fax but do report it to us via Consumer Direct, especially if you receive any threatening calls demanding payment.”

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for community safety and public protection, said: “Many criminals who operate these scams are based outside of the UK, and the branding is clearly intended to confuse and can look very professional in some cases. It is important that all business be alert at this time as it appears that our area is just beginning to be targeted.”

If you believe you have been targeted by a scam of this nature, you can report it to Trading Standards via Consumer Direct on 0845 4040506.

The latest reported crime figures for the East Marsh Ward where released today by Humberside Police, and were posted on their website. The latest figures are again a week or so later than normal; owing to the fact that all police force data is now fed into the national police website.

The crime figures show that the average number of crimes in the ward has decreased (note: the figure are taken over a 3 month period and compared with the same 3 months last year).

In the same period crime across the whole of North East Lincolnshire has decreased by 18.2%.

Ø      Overall level of crime in the ward has decreased by 13.4% (Over the last 12 months)

Ø      Burglary has decreased by 41.3%

Ø      Robbery has decreased by 40%

Ø      Vehicle crime has increased by 60.4% (Residents who attend East Marsh Involve, will be well aware that we had expected this figure to rise; due to residents leaving Sat Navs and other valuables in their vehicles unattended in period prior to Christmas. It is important to make sure that you remove all valuables when you leave your vehicle unattended)

Ø      Violence has decreased by 20.9%

Ø      Anti-social behaviour has increased by 2% 

To view latest crime statistics for the North East Lincolnshire area >>>>CLICK HERE (as well as finding details of overall crime you can find crime level per ward, i.e.: East Marsh, Heneage, Yarborough, Croft Baker, etc.)

In a speech tonight, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne will attack the Labour Government on its stance on crime – in the last twelve years Labour has created 4,300 new crimes - including a ban on swimming in the wreck of the Titanic and on the sale of game birds shot on a Sunday.

Apparently the situation is getting worse, since Gordon Brown took over from his predecessor; the growth legislation as continued at a quicker rate - creating new offences at the rate of 33 a month.

Under Tony Blair, Labour invented 27 new ways of criminalising the public every month.

In total, between 1997 and 2009, 4,289 new criminal offences were created - approximately one for every day ministers have been in office. It is twice the rate at which new crimes were created under the last Tory administration.

They include offences - such as carrying out a nuclear explosion - which could easily be covered by existing laws.

Chris Huhne, who uncovered the figures, will tonight attack the Government’s law-making frenzy. He will say: “Over the past 12 years, this Labour Government has been suffering from the most acute and prolonged bout of legislative diarrhoea.

“We have had 69 Home Affairs Bills in 12 years, an average of almost six per year. This is a staggering-volume to have added to the statute books in such a short time, and this is just the two departments of the Home Office and the Justice Department.

“The “bill teams” in departments are possibly among the most productive parts of the public sector. Unfortunately, the product is in too many cases virtually worthless.”

Humberside Police Authority is seeking four independently-minded people to join the Authority on a mission to secure outstanding policing for local people.

This is a challenging and exciting role which involves holding senior officers of Humberside Police to account for the delivery of a police service that is responsive to the needs and expectations of local people yet is also capable of satisfying central Government priorities and targets. The Authority work in partnership with local people, senior officers, local authorities, businesses and community and voluntary groups to ensure our policing area has an efficient and effective police service.

Humberside Police Authority wishes to reflect the composition of the area and welcomes applications from all eligible people. They want our independent membership to represent as diverse a range of people as possible. They are looking for people who:

Ø     Have a genuine interest in policing and community safety across the Humberside police area

Ø     Are committed to improving the overall performance of the Force particularly with regards to the quality of service delivered via the ‘Policing Pledge’

Ø     Are capable of challenging senior of officers to improve the robustness of local accountability mechanisms

Ø     Welcome the chance of shaping the strategic direction of policing across Humberside and possess financial management and change management skills

Ø     Can think strategically to help ensure greater efficiency without any reductions in productivity/performance

So if you feel you satisfy the above requirements and can represent the interests of a wide range of people within the area, we would like to hear from you.

You will need to commit about 15 hours per week which will contain a mix of attending meetings of the Police Authority and its committees, keeping abreast of developments in local and national policing, attending public meetings and representing the Authority in discussions with interested parties. For this you will be paid an annual allowance of £8,545.

You must be over 18 and live or work in the Humberside police area and have done so for at least 12 months prior to appointment. All appointments will be for a maximum of 4 years.

For an application pack please contact Laura Hodgson (telephone 01482 317001 or email member@humberside-pa.karoo.co.uk) or alternatively download the information from our website at www.humberside-pa.org.uk

The closing date for the return of completed applications is 29 January 2010 and all appointments are subject to satisfactory security vetting.

Humberside Police Authority, Pacific Exchange, 40 High Street, Hull, HU1 1PS
Tel: 01482 317001 Fax: 01482 334822 Email: member@humberside-pa.karoo.co.uk

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting more police on the beat,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on today’s quarterly crime figures, Chris Huhne said: “The fall in crime despite the credit crunch is encouraging but we are not out of the financial woods yet.

“We must be vigilant. Only half of people think that the police are dealing with the crime and anti-social behaviour that matters to them.

“Public confidence is unlikely to be improved by Labour and the Tories’ refusal to protect police numbers. The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting more police on the beat.”

Some time ago the public told Humberside Police Authority, very clearly, that trying to contact the police was difficult. 

Getting through to the police on the phone was very difficult. The Authority took this on board, made this the top priority for the new Chief Constable and approved the investment he needed to secure improvements. 

Today, the call handling centre is not just meeting its targets, it is leaving them behind. In September 99.1% of 999 emergency calls were answered within three seconds (target is 10 seconds). This means that of a total of 11,043 calls, 10,944 were answered rapidly and in a further ten cases the caller hung up before an operator answered. 

The target set by the Authority earlier this year was 90% within 10 seconds. 

The picture is similarly positive regarding non-emergency calls, and 95% of non-emergency call were answered within nine seconds (target is 30 seconds). Of the total number of calls, 21,321, 95% or 20,255 were answered within nine seconds. The target is answer 90% within 30 seconds.

  “It is laughable that Labour thinks it can be trusted to build a huge identity database containing sensitive information about millions of citizens,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth. 

  Commenting on the blunder in which personal contact details of magistrates were mistakenly sent to a prison, David Howarth said: “Whether it’s sending magistrates’ details to a prison or losing laptops, CDs and data sticks, the Government has failed time and time again to keep private information safe.

“It is laughable that Labour thinks it can be trusted to build a huge identity database containing sensitive information about millions of citizens.

“This security lapse exposes gross incompetence in the Ministry of Justice. Jack Straw must now tell us if it was a one-off or if other magistrates have been compromised in this way.”

Commenting on the Government’s proposals to tackle alcohol misuse, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “Booze Britain is ruining lives and costing the country billions, but Labour has not only failed to tackle alcohol misuse, it has allowed an epidemic of drink-fuelled crime and illness to take hold. 

“Now the Government is ignoring its own expensive advice and experts, who say the best way to reduce alcohol misuse is to stop booze being sold at pocket money prices.” 

The Liberal Democrats will: 

Ø     Stop irresponsible drink promotions by introducing a minimum price for alcohol

Ø     Put an end to the sale of alcohol to minors by imposing a ‘one strike’ and you’re out policy

Ø     Provide educational resources for parents so that they can teach their children how to drink responsibly

Ø     Use the Alcohol Trust model to direct funding from the alcohol industry into alcohol treatment services

Ø     Ensure that all A&E departments use alcohol screening tests with appropriate referrals to Alcohol Health Workers 

Liberal Democrat proposals to tackle binge drinking can be found here: TacklingBoozeBritain.pdf

  There has been a steep rise in the number of pensioners convicted of violent crimes since 1997 in England and Wales, research by the Liberal Democrats has found. 

  However, the definition of violent crimes currently includes a range of offences including using abusive language or wilfully obstructing a traffic officer in the execution of their duties.

The figures, revealed in a Parliamentary answer, show:

Ø       More than 1,500 people over-65 have been convicted of violent crimes between 1997 and 2007

Ø       66 more elderly men were convicted in 2007 than in 1997, an increase of 69%

Ø       16 more elderly women were convicted in 2007 than in 1997, an increase of 267%

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Paul Holmes said: “It seems the Government’s obsession with criminalising people even includes the elderly.

“Labour’s target-driven, box-ticking approach to policing, where minor misdemeanours are treated the same as convictions for murder or rape, has led to mass criminalisation.

“I find it more likely that this increase is down to a Government which has created a new crime for every day in office, rather than pensioners being twice as violent as 10 years ago.

“Liberal Democrats would put more police on the streets and expand their discretion to use restorative justice, rather than meeting Government tick boxes.”

“A vote for the Tories is a vote for more crime; a vote for more tried and tested policies which don’t work,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on the launch of the Conservatives’ crime section of their draft manifesto, Chris Huhne said: “The Tories love to tell you they are the party of law and order, when in fact they are the party of crime.

“Their disgraceful record in Government speaks for itself – crime nearly doubled, violent crime nearly tripled and robbery quadrupled.

“A vote for the Tories is a vote for more crime; a vote for more tried and tested policies which don’t work.

“The Tories cannot be trusted – one of their policies is to reduce one of the few remaining protections from the surveillance state.”

Election year debate on criminal justice needs to be about what will really cut crime, not about who can promise the longest prison sentences, according to Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Alan Beith. 

In the report of a major inquiry published on 14 January 2010, the Commons Justice Committee calls for a change in the way we tackle criminal justice and seek to cut re-offending. The Committee, chaired by Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick upon Tweed, Sir Alan Beith says that the criminal justice system faces a “crisis of sustainability” if resources continue to be absorbed by an ever-expanding programme of prison building rather than on preventing crimes from being committed. 

Sir Alan Beith MP said: “Whoever forms the next government faces a choice between unsustainable ‘business-as-usual’ in the criminal justice system, and making some radical decisions. 

“Prisons are needed, and some very dangerous people need to be locked up for a very long time, but prison is no answer, for example, to persistent crime driven by addiction. 

“With pressure on all areas of public spending, the costs of the current ‘predict and provide’ approach to prison places simply cannot continue to be met. It is the responsibility of governments and Parliament to protect citizens from crime by using the taxes they pay as effectively as possible; and that is not what is happening. A demand-led policy of building ever more prison places is being fuelled by political and media pressure for more and longer custodial sentences, diverting resources away from measures which are more likely to prevent future crime.

“The public are entitled to be sure that crimes from which they suffer are being treated seriously; but seriousness should be measured not by the length of a prison sentence but by whether it is a sentence which stops further crime and enables restitution to be made to the victim and to society. 

“It is time to make tough choices and reinvest in other parts of the criminal justice system, and, equally importantly, invest in a range of community and public services outside the system that can do most to cut crime. 

“Evidence from other countries shows that this approach can actually cut the financial cost of crime and reduce the wider burden of crime for individuals and for society as a whole. 

“In an election year it is vital that there is a responsible debate about how we can use limited resources to cut crime, not a competition as to who will promise the longest prison sentences.”

The prison population should be cut by a third with thousands of criminals given community punishments in an effort to stop them reoffending, a report by MPs has said.

Courts should regard sending offenders to jail as a last resort, according to the cross-party Justice Committee.

The MPs called for a radical shift in penal policy and described Government prison building plans, which will cost £4.24 billion, as a “costly mistake”.

The report, Cutting Crime: The Case For Reinvestment, called for millions of pounds to be diverted from prisons to programmes aimed at rehabilitating offenders and getting addicts off drugs and alcohol.

The House of Committee Justice Committee Select Chairman, Liberal Democrat MP, Alan Beith said: that whoever formed the next government faced a choice between radical decisions for the criminal justice system or an unsustainable “business-as-usual” set-up.

Sir Alan Beith also said: “A demand-led policy of building ever more prison places is being fuelled by political and media pressure for more and longer custodial sentences, diverting resources away from measures more likely to prevent future crime.

“In an election year it is vital that there is a responsible debate about how we can use limited resources to cut crime, not a competition as to who will promise the longest prison sentences.

“Prisons are needed, and some very dangerous people need to be locked up for a very long time, but prison is no answer, for example, to persistent crimes driven by addiction.

“Long prison sentences do not make safer streets. Achieving the highest prison population in Western Europe will not cut crime.“

There are currently around 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales, more than double the level of the early 1990s and the highest rate per head of population in

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has committed to increasing the capacity to 96,000 by 2014. Female prisoners, repeat low-level offenders, drug and alcohol addicts and prisoners will mental illnesses should be let out first, said the report.

Community punishments would lead to fewer repeat offenders and cut the need for prison in the long term, it added.Prison reform groups welcomed the report.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said there was a “national addiction” to imprisonment. “Prison should no longer be treated as a free good and must be used sparingly,” she said.

  Commenting on the Conservative party’s plans to combat excessive alcohol consumption by scrapping the use of ‘units of alcohol’ to measure the alcoholic content of drinks, and replace it with a measure in ‘centilitres’, Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, Jenny Willott said: “If the Tories think that this will crack down on binge drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence, they are living in cloud cuckoo land. 

“Someone needs to tell the Tories that a unit of alcohol is the same as a centilitre of alcohol. The idea that changing the name of alcoholic measurements will combat our growing booze culture is frankly ridiculous. 

“Changing the labelling of drinks is pointless if it is only voluntary. The current voluntary system has failed. Only half of all alcoholic drinks sold in the UK currently show information on alcoholic content.  

“There is no evidence that this will make any difference to the levels of alcoholism and binge drinking, especially in Wales, where alcohol related deaths have risen faster than anywhere else in the UK. 

“This is a serious problem that requires serious action. I want to see mandatory drinks labelling, a minimum price of alcohol to stop supermarkets selling booze at pocket-money prices and a comprehensive alcohol rehabilitation programme to help alcoholics combat their addictions.”

Hospital admissions for assault have risen in the last year despite Government attempts to clamp down on violence, and particularly knife crime, Liberal Democrat analysis of Government statistics has found. 

Despite the launch of the Government’s Tackling Knives Action Programme in 10 areas in June 2008, hospital admissions for violence have increased by more than 2% in those areas and more than 3% elsewhere between 2007/08 and 2008/09.

The Government has also failed to roll out the hugely successful ‘Cardiff Model’, in which hospitals share information with police to identify violent crime hot spots, which reduced woundings by 40% in the city.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “This failure to cut violence is particularly shocking because ministers have failed to roll out methods across the country that have been proved to work in reducing woundings.

“A simple change where officers intensively police violence hot spots identified from hospital data has been shown to reduce woundings by 40 %, yet the Government has still failed to bang Home Office and Health Department heads together.”

The only way to tackle the most disruptive families, according to Louise Casey were put them into through the so-called “sin bins”, which provide around the clock supervision in special units.

She said the measure, the most extreme available under the Government’s Family Intervention Programme (FIP), was effectively the equivalent of “taking a family into care”.

The Home Office official warned the worst culprits cost the taxpayer up to £330,000 a year but putting them in to units would cost a fraction of that.

Ms Casey, the director general of the neighbourhood crime and justice group, said a small number of the worst families in the country were causing “phenomenal” problems by letting their kids run riot.

She called for entire families to be placed in residential care to make them behave better, enabling Government agencies to give them better support as well as tough controls.

Some of the worst parents were “deliberately choosing not to cope” with their children, she said.

She told the Home Affairs Select Committee: “I was very clear that we needed to have residential projects that I would almost equate with taking a family into care.

“You have got to crack down on the very small number of absolutely problematic families that cause the most havoc in communities.

“That varies from the lowest level of disorder that we call anti-social behaviour to the nastiest crimes.

“I think they are few in number but the problems they cause in communities are phenomenal.

“The average amount of money we are already spending on these families … is between £250,000 and £330,000 a year.”

“Stop and search has to be targeted on the basis of suspicion and intelligence,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that police stop and searches under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 are illegal, Chris Huhne said: “When everybody from trainspotters to Japanese tourists are up in arms, it should be clear to even the most bone-headed minister that stop and search under section 44 is being overused.

“Stop and search has to be targeted on the basis of suspicion and intelligence.

“Random and indiscriminate use of stop and search alienates the communities we rely on most for the intelligence and witnesses we need to fight terrorism.

“Instead of bleating about the judgement, the Government should provide time in Parliament for this law to be debated and tightened up.”

“The Court of Appeal decided to exclude the jury because of the cost of providing adequate protection,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth. 

Commenting on the start of the first Crown Court trial without jury for more than 350 years, David Howarth said: “The Labour Government has failed to defend jury trial and has been too keen on looking for ways to undermine it.

“The Court of Appeal decided to exclude the jury because of the cost of providing adequate protection. The danger of that approach is that it gives the police an incentive to exaggerate both the risk and the cost of dealing with it.

“The obvious question to ask is why action has not been taken against those suspected of tampering with the jury. Surely the best way to protect a jury is to arrest those who are threatening it?”

“The Government has clearly failed to tackle anti-social behaviour and their flagship ASBOs have proven to be just an ineffective gimmick,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on today’s Government survey on public perception of anti-social behaviour, Chris Huhne said: “Despite the spin and a hundred million pounds, more people think anti-social behaviour has got worse in their area than think it has got better.

“The Government has clearly failed to tackle anti-social behaviour and their flagship ASBOs have proven to be just an ineffective gimmick.

“The best way to reassure people in these difficult times is to put more police on the beat to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. The Liberal Democrats are the only party promising to do so.”

“Ministers must stop dragging their feet and remove all innocent people from the database immediately,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on figures showing the DNA database helps to solve only one crime in every 150, Chris Huhne said: “The enormous increase in the size of the DNA database, populated by a million innocent people, has not led to an increase in the amount of crimes it helps solve.

“The European Court of Human Rights has made its position clear but the Government seems hell bent on ignoring it.

“Ministers must stop dragging their feet and remove all innocent people from the database immediately.”

The number of crimes detected by CCTV has declined according to the Daily Telegraph; the information was obtained by the newspaper in a Freedom of Information request (FoI).

The Metropolitan Police, Humberside Police, Sussex Police and Northumbria Police said that out of 1.147 million crimes in 2008/09, 146,959 were detected by CCTV.

The Metropolitan Police saw the biggest drop, with detections down 71 per cent in crimes “in which CCTV was involved”. In 2003/04, 416,000 crimes involved CCTV, but in 2008/09 the figure was only 121,770.

Reportedly the drop is because officers were previously recording CCTV involvement if a camera was in the area. Nowadays officers are said to only mention CCTV if it had actually formed part of the investigation.

Humberside also reported a drop, saying the number of crimes caught on camera fell from 1,583 in 2005/6 to 1,114 in 2008/9 – a year when nearly 90,000 recorded crimes were logged by local police, according to Home Office figures.

Sussex Police said CCTV was “directly responsible for 4,800 arrests of all kinds in 2008/9″. In Northumbria, 19,275 offences were recorded as “having CCTV involvement”.

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: “These figures seriously question the wisdom of lavishing millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on making us the most watched society in the world.” 

David Howarth added: “There is now a growing amount of evidence to suggest that the impact of CCTV on crime is minimal.  

“As a result, government at all levels must review their use and dependence on CCTV and consider other options that will have a greater effect on crime.”  

The Liberal Democrats said they were calling for a Royal Commission to examine the use and regulations surrounding CCTV.

Alexander Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “It’s right to say that the experiment with CCTV has failed. They can’t have it both ways. Either the figures reflect a fall or they were wrong in the first place.”

But speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Simon Foy, the head of homicide and serious crime command at the Metropolitan Police’s specialist crime directorate, defended CCTV.

“I think it is absolutely clear to me that CCTV has a significant benefit to investigations and investigation of serious crime. It helps people to feel safer and more confident,” he said.

“On the other hand I do think that we have to be conscious that we don’t use it inappropriately and not for methods that intrude on privacy.”

“The best solution is the automatic removal of all innocent people’s DNA from the database,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne.

Commenting on reports that some police forces are resisting requests to remove the DNA of innocent people from the DNA database, Chris Huhne said: “The best solution is the automatic removal of all innocent people’s DNA from the database as soon as an investigation is concluded.

“Police forces that prove reluctant even to respond to requests for removal are damaging their own reputation with the public.

“They are misjudging what will have to happen regardless of the election result if we are to comply with the European Court of Human Rights judgement respecting privacy.”

  The Home Office and the Ministry of Justice are using the Scottish body that deals with criminal records to check on its employees in England and Wales because the Criminal Records Bureau cannot.

  This is because it has yet to bring the equivalent powers into force in England and Wales, despite being on the statute book for over a decade. In the last year, 3,829 staff have been checked, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.

  The figures, released in Parliamentary answers, show:

Ø       The Home Office made 3,324 criminal records checks on its staff in England and Wales using basic disclosure checks by Disclosure Scotland between October 2008 and November 2009. This included 1,084 permanent staff and 2,240 contractors

Ø       The Ministry of Justice checked 505 of its staff in the same period

Ø       Nearly 1.3m people in England and Wales were subject to basic disclosure checks by Disclosure Scotland between 2003 and 2008, at a rate of 4,163 a week or 595 a day

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “It shows that the Criminal Records Bureau in England and Wales is not up to scratch when the Home Office has to use the Scottish equivalent to vet its own staff.

“It is ridiculous that the Government is intending to introduce a vetting and barring scheme to check on millions more people when it still has not enacted criminal records legislation from a decade ago.

“It is simply not on to make employees in England and Wales be vetted by a Scottish body when there is no legislative basis for it.

“Ministers at the Home Office must come clean about why the Criminal Records Bureau is not deemed fit to carry out basic disclosure checks.

“It says a great deal about the Home Office’s tendency towards legislative diarrhoea that laws passed twelve years ago have not yet come into force.”

  “It is a cheap shot to blame individual police officers,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

  Commenting on Justice Secretary Jack Straw’s comments on police performance, Chris Huhne said: “It is a cheap shot to blame individual police officers for the failings of their forces.

  “Police forces vary enormously in their effectiveness even though they face the same unnecessary bureaucracy, and the way to improve laggard forces is through strong local accountability with elected police authorities.

“If mergers were the easy way to greater police efficiency, the biggest police force would have the best record in clearing up crime, but the opposite is the case. Bigger is not better.”

Throughout the UK people have asked for their DNA samples to be removed from – in some cases they have been granted and in others they have been refused permission.

Innocent people who want police to delete their DNA records face hugely differing chances of success across England and Wales, according to new research. It is not the fault of the particular Police Force, they have to interpret the risk – the government must now act.

The situation is matter is a great concern to Andrew Watson, co-ordinator of the NO2ID campaign in Cambridge.

Andrew Watson said: “Our campaign is about stopping the database state, and opposing the increasing propensity of the Government to micromanage people’s lives and control innocent people by holding information about them.

“We agree with the DNA database as a vital crime fighting tool, but don’t agree innocent people should have their details stored if they haven’t been convicted of a crime.

“More than a million people had their details added last year, and there hasn’t been any improvement in the detection rate by having all these innocent people’s DNA stored.

“The detection rate through the DNA database has remained constant at around 0.37 per cent. As well as being an infringement of people’s civil liberties, it’s a massive, massive waste of money.”

Among those who had their DNA taken was pensioner Thomas Catcheside.

The 67-year-old swore at a Cambridge City Council official after a fruitless three-year campaign to get steps improved outside his flat.

He was questioned by police about suspected assault but no charges were laid.

However, a few days later, they arrested him at his home at 5.35am, took him to a police station, took his fingerprints and DNA and issued him with an £80 fixed penalty notice for “causing harassment, alarm or distress in a public place”. 

The pensioner said he had been unfairly criminalised.

A police spokeswoman, commenting on Mr Catcheside’s case, said: “National policy states anyone arrested will have a sample of their DNA taken.”

Conservative shadow immigration minister Damian Green, who was arrested by police investigating a Home Office leak in November 2008, has called for a review of police policy on the issue to end the ‘postcode lottery’ among forces.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne believes the government needs to act.

“The best solution is the automatic removal of all innocent people’s DNA from the database as soon as an investigation is concluded,” he said

“Once again the Department for Transport looks flat footed,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker. 

Commenting on the Government’s delay in deploying X-ray style body scanners at airports across the country, Norman Baker said: “While full-body scanners shouldn’t be seen as a panacea, any measure that improves security at UK airports should be welcomed.

“The Government ought to have made more progress than it has in deploying these scanners. Ministers face serious questions about why they have not been introduced with much greater urgency.

“Once again the Department for Transport looks flat footed and the price is being paid by hundreds of thousands of people going through our airports.” 

Police forces in Britain have spent over £70,000 a day on hire cars over the last five years, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. 

The figures, released following Freedom of Information requests to police forces, show: 

Ø       Between 2004 and 2009, police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland spent £132m on hire cars

Ø       This averages out at £72,500 a day or more than £500,000 a week

Ø       This is the equivalent of buying two new BMW 5 Series every day, 14 a week or 3,650 of them over the course of five years

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “At a time when police budgets are under extreme pressure, it seems unnecessarily lavish to be spending over £70,000 a day on hire cars.

“Hiring cars at appropriate times can save forces money but if they are being hired while police cars are not in use, it is simply a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“The Association of Chief Police Officers should issue forces with guidance about the best use of hire cars.”

At the last Council Meeting of held at Grimsby Town Hall, North East Lincolnshire Council elected members voted in favour calling for a report that could pave the way for a borough-wide alcohol ban in public places. 

The notice of motion, which was moved by two Labour councillors after members of the public had raised concerns about the issue in their respective wards. 

Within North East Lincolnshire, there are already two booze-free zones operating and they have operated for a number of years; there is one in Grimsby Top Town which as been in place since 2004, particular enforced around St James Square, and a second area which came into being in 2006 is along Cleethorpes Seafront. 

The Grimsby Telegraph has today reported that there are concerns those two booze-free zones are simply not working, they have been ignored by individuals or they have just moved outside the zones to carry on drinking. 

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for community safety and public protection told the Telegraph: “People need to feel confident when they are walking the street and not have to deal with people drinking in public places, but any potential borough wide ban would not stop them drinking in public places. And, crucially this ban would be very difficult to enforce; it would be unworkable unless we had a police officer on every single street corner. 

“Yes, members of the public are telling us drinking in public places is a priority but they are also telling us that anti-social behaviour, burglary, car parking issues, cycling on footpaths, speeding, and many more issues are priorities for our local police. 

“If we are not careful we could end up with dozens of calls from the public and the police are unable to respond, which would create a backlash. The police cannot be everywhere and the problems is those that shout the loudest would receive all of the resources to enforce this particular ban” 

Steve was backed by Humberside Police Alcohol Reduction Champion, Inspector Tom Shaw, who said he believed any ban would be impossible to effectively police. 

“If officers were to concentrate on tackling people drinking in public, nothing else would get done. 

“It would be down to police officers because they are the only ones with the power to confiscate alcohol. 

“Police Community Support Officers can confiscate alcohol but if they refuse it is up to police officers to go through the arrest procedure. 

“If we are dealing with people drinking in the street, our focus is taken away from everyday policing. 

“If we could get street wardens in to do it, that is well and good, but only police can make the arrest if they refuse when the alcohol is confiscated.” 

He said the partnership between North East Lincolnshire Council and Humberside Police has been successful in curbing the sales of alcohol to people who regularly drink in the street and public places. 

During the debate at the December Council meeting, Councillor Jon-Paul Howarth said: “We all know there is a problem but is it not just time wasting and a resource wasting exercise getting someone to write a report just to tell us that?” 

Councillor Howarth’s views were echoed by Steve Beasant fellow East Marsh Ward Councillor who said: “This is a pointless exercise asking our officers to prepare a report it would be by far better to ask Humberside Police to carry out this piece of work rather than giving our officers extra work – the police could then say straight away if this is feasible. 

“To bring in a blanket borough wide ban would be dangerous; it would be unenforceable and all that would happen is that the heavy drinkers would go elsewhere – they would go onto private land, into empty properties and cause further mayhem – like other proposals this simply has not been thought through. 

“This ban will not tackle the problem; we need address the issue head on. Many of these street drinkers have been on the streets for years, they need help, and they need counseling and support. It is a proven fact that every pound invested in support services will save ten pounds on the NHS and other agencies – we need to tackle this head on, and get these individuals off alcohol, once and for all. 

“It is also worth considering a minimum pricing policy for alcohol; I know the Government overturned the Chief Medical Officer’s advice on this issue, because it would be politically sensitive. This ban will not address the root cause of the problem.”

When Labour came to power it claimed it would deal with many of the issues that are still causing us major problems today, and one of them problems related to the night time economy. But, the impact of Labour’s licensing laws on the NHS is now beginning to unfold.  

A report showed the cost of treating alcohol-related illnesses and injuries almost doubled in six years, from £1.47billion in 2001/02 to £2.7billion in 2006/07.  

Experts blame the legalisation of 24-hour drinking in 2005 and the availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and pubs.  

The report, from the Royal College of Physicians and the NHS Confederation, says the NHS is being placed under intolerable strain.  

In some regions, alcohol-related admissions to hospital have doubled in less than a decade, and alcohol is now to blame for many violent assaults.  

The report says the £2.7billion is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg, as alcohol involvement is not always recorded by hospitals.  

More than 10million people regularly drink beyond safe levels and last year there were almost a million hospital admissions as a result.  

The report calls for much more spending on preventative programmes; it is a well known fact that for every pound you spend on preventative work the greater return that is received. Obviously the investment takes time, but it’s a sad fact, that in many parts of UK alcohol programmes have been cut back to the bone.

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “The nation’s growing addiction to alcohol is putting an immense strain on health services, especially in hospitals. This burden is no longer sustainable.  

“The role of the NHS should not just be about treating the consequences of alcohol related-harm but also about active prevention, early intervention and working in partnership with services in local communities to raise awareness of alcohol-related harm.” 

Steve Barnett, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents trusts and managers, said: “We hope this report acts as a warning that if we carry on drinking the way we are, the bar bill will be paid in worse health and a health system struggling to cope.  

“The NHS can play a part, in ensuring that treatment is provided for people exhibiting the early stages of an addiction to alcohol and by running its services more effectively, but a reappraisal of social attitudes to drinking is also well overdue.”  

The report shows that alcohol consumption in Britain has soared by 19 per cent over the past 30 years, while drinking in France, Germany and Italy has declined.  

On 7th December last year the Liberal Democrats revealed research that showed cancers which are linked to excessive drinking have risen by up to 50% in the past decade . 

Commenting at the time, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: “Excessive drinking has been on the rise for years, and these shocking figures show how dramatically the health problems of booze Britain are escalating. Ministers cannot turn a blind eye to the terrible problems alcohol is causing.

“The Government’s failure to cut alcohol consumption now is storing up problems for later, with more people set to develop cancers in the years to come.

“The appalling rise of alcohol-related health problems will only continue unless we crack down on reckless retailers and irresponsible drink offers.”

Jack Straw who said he was “sceptical” when officers claimed they were overworked or spent hours filling in forms; however his comments have been met with met with wrath by national Police Associations.  

Mr Straw told the BBC some enjoyed being in the station “in the warm” while others finished forms quicker “because they want to get out and catch criminals”, he appeared to imply that it was down leadership from top – if they could get away with being in the station – then they would.  

Police groups said the comments were “irresponsible and inflammatory” and “not constructive”.  

Mr Straw, who was previously Home Secretary between 1997 and 2001, was asked about “overworked” police forces asking people to register minor crimes online.  

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s, the Today programme he said: “I’m afraid I’m rather sceptical about the excuse that a public service, in this case the police, is overworked and therefore can’t change. 

“With a given level of resources, some police forces, or some parts of police forces do very much better than others.  

“And it is the ones who are the less efficient and who have the wrong approach to the public who fall back on this ‘Oh, I’m overworked’ [argument].”  

He said while some officers would claim it took four hours to fill in forms, “good police officers will take an hour to fill in the same forms because they want to get out and catch criminals”.  

He added: “Some police officers, whatever they say, actually quite enjoy being in the police station in the warm. We are dealing with human beings, but we are also dealing with the kind of discipline and culture in the police service.”  

Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, described Mr Straw’s comments as “irresponsible and inflammatory”.  

“It wasn’t police officers who brought in 3,000 new laws, it wasn’t police officers who brought in a 30-page prosecution file and it wasn’t police officers who brought in multiple forms and authorities to use a pair of binoculars,” he said. 

And Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) president Sir Hugh Orde said the “overwhelming majority” of police officers went to work to do a good job and keep the public safe.  

“These comments are not constructive and do not reflect the hard work and danger that many officers face day-to-day,” he said.  

A Conservative Party spokesman said ministers were “utterly out of touch with what is really happening in policing”.  

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “It is a cheap shot to blame individual police officers for the failings of their forces.  

“Police forces vary enormously in their effectiveness even though they face the same unnecessary bureaucracy, and the way to improve laggard forces is through strong local accountability with elected police authorities.”

The Tories today have made great play over the number of mobile phones being smuggled into prisons, and they have rightly attacked the government but this old news. 

The Ministry of Justice figures show almost 9,000 mobile phones and Sim cards were seized during 2008 - up more than 5,800 on two years earlier.  

The Conservatives say the phones pose a national security threat if terrorism convicts get hold of them. 

According to Ministry of Justice figures, prison officers found 3,910 mobiles and 4,189 Sim cards during 2008. In 2006, they came across 2,272 mobile phones.  

Justice Secretary Jack Straw accused the Conservatives of a “cheap Christmas propaganda trick”.  

The figures had gone up because prisons were getting better at finding smuggled phones, he said.  

“We have done a vast amount to tackle this problem, but like the way criminals manage to smuggle drugs into prisons, they have found ways of getting mobiles into prisons.” 

The government should not be complacent about this issue and it about time that they were taken urgent action on this particular problem.

It is not new problem; the Liberal Democrats have raised the issue on a number of occasions on 13th September this year the Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: “These figures are a clear indication that our prison system is awash with illicit mobile phones.  

“The huge increase may be due to better searching, but there is a real fear that the phones found are just the tip of the iceberg. 

“The ready availability of mobiles and drugs are a clear indication of how our prisons are out of control. Phones are the key tool used by prisoners to supply drugs both inside and outside prison walls. 

“It is a year since the Blakey Review made some excellent recommendations to curb drug use and mobile use in prisons, but too little has been done. Ministers must act.” 

In September, on this website I reported the number of mobiles phones seized as at the end of March this year, and the figures are much higher than those quoted by the Tories: to view the article click HERE.  

Only yesterday, I reported on the dramatic rise in the number of mobile phones seized at Strangeways Prison, and I quoted the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove, Andrew Stunell he said: “Why haven’t the government acted to put in mobile-phone blocking technology at all prisons? 

“Confiscation is always going to be hit and miss, leaving the drug traffickers room to ply their trade. Blocking technology could end this at a stroke, and make prisons and prisoners safer.”

East Marsh Involve is held on the last Tuesday of each month, and the next meeting will be held Tuesday 26th January 2010 – this will be the first meeting of the New Year – a ‘Fresh Start for the East Marsh, and a new beginning! 

The meeting as usual will be the Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre at 6pm - all local residents are welcome to attend and influence the agenda. 

East Marsh Involve is a local community group that is run by local residents; with the aim of making East Marsh a better place to live. We aim to, engage, inform and empower local residents in order that they can take decisions about their local community. 

The Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre is on the corner of Weelsby Street and Wellington Street, and the meetings are always held on the last Tuesday of each month. 

One of the main agenda items at the meeting is the priority setting process, and at last month’s meeting residents determined four priorities of which Humberside Police are reporting the follwing progress: 

Priority One: Anti Social Behaviour – Stanley Street/Weelsby Street and Duke Street

Residents have reported that youths are congregating in the area causing criminal damage and anti social behaviour. 

This priority was set by East Marsh Involve for the forth month. Patrols have been carried out in this area; the problem has also been discussed with local residents together with landlords who have responsibility for premises which has attracted anti social behaviour. Two families have been referred to Support Agencies and support has commenced. The activities undertaken have already resulted in fewer problems. Patrols will continue to focus on the area to maintain this improvement. 

Priority Two: Castle Street/Harold Street - Anti Social Behaviour and Criminal Damage

This priority was set by East Marsh Involve for the second month. 

Patrols have been deployed to this area to try and identify youths or families that are causing anti social behaviour and criminal damage. 

A street briefing was held down Castle Street (low number’s end) on 9th December 2009 5pm till 7pm to give residents a chance to come and speak with local officers. 

Priority Three: Guildford Street – Arson

This priority has been raised by East Marsh Involve after having some large fires down the street in the empty properties.

Patrols will be carried out in the area and checks are to be made on the properties together with Shoreline to make sure that they are secure. This is aimed at reducing the risk of arson attacks. 

Priority Four: Parking Issues – Oxford Street

This has been raised by East Marsh Involve and is a new priority. 

Oxford Street is a major carriageway which is heavily used by local traffic meaning that parking issues impact on road safety when cars are parking on double yellows. Cars are also parking on the footpaths which can result in people not been able to walk on the footpaths and having to go onto the road. 

Patrols will be deployed in the area and will provide road safety advice to motorists and pedestrians and deal with offences appropriately. 

The priority setting process is not the only way of making your views known about Crime and Disorder within the East Marsh; the Neighbourhood Beat Team have drop in surgery at Your Place on the corner of Wellington Street and Weelsby Street on the first Wednesday of each month. The next surgery will take place on Wednesday 6th January between 2pm and 4pm and also present will be a number of other agencies along with one of your local Ward Councillors – come along for chat, and cup of tea or coffee.

East Marsh Involve is also keen to hear from local residents about local issues and priorities that are affecting you and local neighbours, we recognise that not everyone can attend local community meetings; therefore if you want to find out more about the process please view here: a4-east-marsh-poster.pdf.

Believe it or not information revealed to the Liberal Democrats shows that thieves have been responsible for thousands of trains being delayed over the past three years.

Since 2006, passengers have been forced to endure one million minutes of delays caused by organised gangs stealing copper cabling from the rail network.

In recent years the price of scrap metal as ‘shot through the roof’, but in particular copper and this has now become a valuable commodity to thieves across the UK.

Network Rail has reported more than 2,000 cases of cable theft, costing £25million in compensation payments to affected train operators.

The compensation from Network Rail to train operators means millions of pounds have to be diverted from investment in the railways – and could even lead to fare rises in the future.

Liberal Democrat Transport Secretary, Norman Baker who uncovered the figures, said: “This is a very serious issue for the railways which costs the public purse a lot of money as well as disrupting services for thousands of passengers.”

Copper cabling is vital to the rail network because it conducts the electricity on which trains run.

Network Rail is now tackling the problem by gradually replacing its copper cabling with aluminium, which is worth less.

Glyn Hellam, a spokesman for the British Transport Police, said: “We have a national operation to deal with cable and metal theft across the railway.”

Shocking new information is beginning to emerge about the effects of alcohol and its impact on health and violence. However, the major concern is the dramatic rise in the number of young people drinking and it is also becoming clear that problem affects all walks of life.

New information out today, suggest the number of children committing drink-related crime in the Westcountry has doubled in four years, new figures show.

Almost 2,500 children in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset have been fined, cautioned or taken to court for abusing alcohol between 2003 and 2007.

The record figures come after the Chief Medical Officer warned earlier this month that parents who had a “laissez-faire” attitude to their children’s drinking were putting them at risk.

Sir Liam Donaldson said people who allowed their teenagers to drink alcohol with their friends could be storing up problems while middle-class families who diluted their children’s wine may also be misguided.

He said there was a need to challenge the stereotype of “the drunk as a hero” and pointed to self-confessed alcoholic footballers Paul Gascoigne and George Best.

Of all children aged from 10 to 17, there was a rise of almost two-thirds across the two forces. Cautions against drunk children rose by 50 per cent in Devon and

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne

“The problem appears to be growing worse by leaps and bounds. Ministers talk a lot about the alcohol crisis in this country but have failed to tackle it.

“Unless we change our drinking culture, we will condemn many children and adolescents to serious long-term alcohol-related illnesses or a life of crime.

“We must put an end to alcohol being sold at pocket-money prices and start educating our children about the dangers of drink or these figures will continue to get worse.

“Offences included being drunk and disorderly, drink-driving and selling alcohol to other children.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We are determined to reduce under-age drinking through effective education and tough enforcement.”

Nationally, more than 6,000 children aged 10 to 15 were handed police cautions or taken to court for abusing alcohol in the four-year period.

Sir Liam warned that parents should avoid exposing youngsters to “alcohol-fuelled environments” or family events where drinking was the central activity.

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: “Drinking among young people is a major concern for parents, many of whom have previously had no clear guidance on how to approach what can be a sensitive issue.”

Mobile phones, drugs and scissors are among some of the items smuggled into Strangeways, according to the Manchester Evening News.

In total visitors had 21 phones and 15 sim cards seized by police between January and November this year, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

In each case, the item was confiscated by police and the visitor arrested.

As well as phones and sim cards, other confiscated items were a pen-knife, heroin, cannabis, four grams of cocaine, scissors, memory sticks and two blue diazapam anti-depressant tablets.

Earlier this year the newspaper reported that prisoner Domenyk Noonan was posting regularly on the website Facebook from his cell.

It led to fresh calls for government action against mobiles in prison, which are believed to change hands behind bars for up to £400.

In total 300 phones were confiscated from four prisons in Greater Manchester and Cheshire in the last year - compared to 128 four years ago.

Eight hundred and ninety-nine phones and sim cards have been seized since 2005.

The Ministry of Justice says it has attempted to crack down on the trade in mobile phones in prisons.

In the recent Queen’s speech, it was proposed that possession of a phone within a prison without authorisation should be made a criminal offence.

Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove, Andrew Stunell said: “Why haven’t the government acted to put in mobile-phone blocking technology at all prisons?

“Confiscation is always going to be hit and miss, leaving the drug traffickers room to ply their trade. Blocking technology could end this at a stroke, and make prisons and prisoners safer.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “The presence of illicit mobile phones presents serious risks to the security of prisons and to the safety of the public as they can be used for a range of criminal purposes.

“Prisons deploy a robust and comprehensive range of security measures to tackle the use of illicit mobile phones. The objective is to act as a deterrent to those who consider trafficking a mobile phone into a prison or to have them in their possession and to punish those who do.”

Civil servants have been accused of interfering with the criminal justice system by the Liberal Democrats and they claim that it is a “grotesque abuse of power”; amid claims that they regularly try to influence the work of criminal justice staff when it comes to deciding on the sentencing and treatment of offenders.

Probation officers supervising an animal rights protester on a 12-month community order for sending threatening letters to laboratory staff were told to ensure that she was not discharged early for making good progress because the home secretary goes “squinty-eyed about these types of cases”.

In another case, an officer preparing a pre-sentence report for a judge hearing the case of a Greenpeace activist received a phone call from officials at the Ministry of Justice telling him to focus only on the “criminal” aspects of the case, rather than any political context. Napo said this advice conflicted with normal practice, which is to explain to the court the reason for the offence. The activist, who was one of a group of protesters that stopped a coal train on its way to Drax power station in Yorkshire in 2008, received a community sentence.

On the other hand, in 2008 six Greenpeace activists were acquitted of causing criminal damage to Kingsnorth power station because a court decided “they had lawful excuse” in that they were trying to protect the world from climate change. The difference between the outcome of the two cases raised concerns that the government is seeking to take tougher measures against environmental activists.

“This is a grotesque abuse of power,” said the Liberal Democrats Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth. “Interfering with the criminal justice system by civil servants is unjustified. They have no right to do this.” Mr Howarth said it was important to establish whether ministers knew officials attempted to exert authority over the criminal justice system.

A senior Liberal Democrat will oppose any attempt to repeal the Hunting Act if he is elected to the House of Commons after the General Election. 

Ron Beadle is the favourite to succeed retiring Doug Henderson and become the new Member of Parliament for Newcastle North. 

Conservative leader David Cameron has said that if he becomes Prime Minister he will allow MPs a ‘free vote’ on repealing the ban - meaning MPs can vote with their conscience and not follow party lines. 

“I am absolutely 100% opposed to chasing foxes, hares and deer with a pack of hounds for what can loosely be described as ’sport’ and ‘pleasure’,” said Ron Beadle. 

“Hunting is cruel and has no place in today’s society. 

“If I am elected to the House of Commons I will oppose any attempt to repeal the Hunting Act and I will hope that as many MPs as possible will join me in the fight to maintain the ban.” 

The ban was introduced in 2004 by the Labour Government in a free vote and received cross-party support. 

“I fully appreciate that farmers need the ability to control certain wild species but there are a number of more efficient and humane methods to control pests,” said Ron Beadle. 

He was speaking out following a ruling made in the European Court of Human Rights.

The Court dismissed the case on all counts and ruled the Hunting Act did not negatively affect the hunters’ right to private and family life. 

An Ipsos-MORI poll in September found 75% in favour of the ban on foxhunting, with 84% and 85% against stag and hare hunts.

Today is one of the biggest days in the hunting calendar, and hunters will gather for a barbaric, outdated sport which should not have no place in a modern society – but they claim can scent victory in the air.

Their hopes that a Conservative election win will see the end of Labour’s ban on foxhunting have been boosted by a survey suggesting that a ‘clear majority’ of MPs in the next Parliament want the law scrapped.

Of the 130 Tory candidates questioned in the poll, commissioned by the pro-hunting Countryside Alliance, none said he would vote in favour of a ban and only seven said they would abstain.

Anti-blood sports campaigners said the study showed the candidates had ‘warped priorities’ which are out of touch with public opinion.

More than 300 packs are today expected to take part in ‘legal’ hunting - following a trail rather than chasing a fox - with thousands turning out either to show their support or to protest.

Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “In the past five years increasing numbers of politicians of all parties have come to understand that the Hunting Act is an unworkable piece of legislation.

“Police have spent endless time investigating spurious allegations made by animal rights activists when they should have been tackling real crime like drugs and burglary.”

The Conservative manifesto will pledge Government time to hold a free vote in Parliament on whether the 2004 Hunting Act ban should be repealed.

Tory sources have indicated the vote could be held ‘within months’ of the party coming to power. Of the Tories’ existing 196 MPs only three have indicated support for the ban, of which at least one, the former minister Ann Widdecombe, is standing down.

Former diplomat Rory Stewart, now Conservative candidate for Penrith And The Border, said: “I’m hoping to represent a seat in Cumbria where there is a long tradition of hunting. It is not a class thing here - it is something ordinary farmers do. It helps bring communities together.”

Interestingly, it was also reported in the Grimsby Telegraph that Victoria Ayling the Tory PPC for Great Grimsby had said that: the hunting ban was a “very poorly drafted piece of legislation that has done more harm than good for animal rights”, and a Conservative government would repeal it.

An opinion poll, also commissioned by the Countryside Alliance, found 57 per cent believed the ban is ‘not working’, with 34 per cent saying it has been effective.

The findings came as Labour launched a ‘Back The Ban’ campaign, supported by celebrities including actors Tony Robinson and Patrick Stewart. The party hopes to exploit the issue, with No10 believing David Cameron’s support for hunting underlines his ‘toff’ image.

The League Against Cruel Sports said a repeal would be a ‘huge backward step for a civilised society’.

A spokesman added: “At a time when unemployment, the economy, health and education should be the big issues the obsession of some Tory MPs with hunting suggests they have warped priorities.”

In today’s Daily Telegraph they have an article about alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder; however neither the Tories or Labour are prepared to do anything about the situation – the Liberal Democrats have advocated a sensible approach on this issue but the other parties fail to listen. 

The Telegraph reports that coping with the effects of drunken rowdiness and offending, including policing, health care and loss of earnings, leaves England and Wales with an annual bill of up to £13 billion, or £400 every second.  

It is a result of around one million violent offences that are linked with abuse of alcohol every year, many of the victims will be scared for life – they will have to go through A&E, emergency surgery, and then possibly once they leave hospital have to face up to effects of psychological counseling.  

The estimate, the first of its kind drawn up by the Home Office, will add to concerns that binge-drinking, around the clock licensing and the growth of a “ladette” culture is having a direct impact on communities and public services.  

Earlier this month, Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, warned that people are too scared to walk Britain’s streets at night because of “drunken yobbery” and the risk of becoming a victim of “gratuitous violence”.  

The cost of alcohol-related crime and disorder centres on the impact such incidents have on all aspects of society from preventive measures to dealing with the aftermath. 

It incorporates the cost of the anticipation” of crime such as awareness campaigns or extra security at night, the cost to the criminal justice system, the health service and dealing with victims.  

It also estimates loss of earnings to the economy such as victims being off work or offenders unable to work because they are in court or jail.  

It is the first time the Home Office has calculated the impact of alcohol-fuelled in such a way and said drunken disorder cost England and Wales between £8-£13 billion in 2007/08.

That is the equivalent of £590 for each of the 22 million households in England and Wales.

On the December 13th this year Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne called for an end to alcohol being sold at pocket money prices, he said: “These figures paint a shocking picture of how many children are being dragged into the criminal justice system through alcohol abuse. The problem appears to be growing worse by leaps and bounds.

“Ministers talk a lot about the alcohol crisis in this country but have completely failed to tackle it.

“Unless we change our drinking culture, we will condemn many of these children and adolescents to serious long-term alcohol-related illnesses or a life of crime.

“We must put an end to alcohol being sold at pocket-money prices and start educating our children about the dangers of drink or these figures will continue to get worse.

“Rather than more posturing, the Government should enforce a strict policy that those who sell alcohol to under-age children will lose their licence.”

Humberside Police is issuing a warning following reports nationally of dangerous plant food being eaten by people.

It is a synthetic substance called Mephedrone or Methedrone and is being sold on the internet as a plant fertilizer but also advertised as being used to achieve a ‘legal high’.

It is sold as a plant food to get around fit for human consumption checks but should not be ingested.

Police are also concerned that children and adults could be going into shops to buy flower and plant food and then eating it.

Due to the risks posed officers are urging people not to eat or drink any substance labelled for plants and asking parents be vigilant to ensure their children are not taking anything that could be potentially harmful to their health.

Anna Pilgim from Hull Citysafe Drug Strategy Team said: “Just because substances are legal, doesn’t mean they are safe.

“Relatively little is known about the potential short term or long term impact of chemicals such as those found in plant food, and as their make-up changes all the time, users can’t be certain what they are taking and what the effects might be.

“Also, different people will react differently - so people don’t know how their body will react to the substances.

“’Legal highs’ pose a real danger and the risks increase if they are taken with alcohol, or other drugs.

“The Drugs Team would advise that people do not take plant food as it is a dangerous substance when taken by humans.”

HUMBERSIDE Police is asking the public “Who’s Going out Tonight” as the force launches the Christmas and New Year alcohol related violent crime campaign.

The campaign aims to support the ongoing work of front-line officers by attempting to change drinking behaviour and helping to reduce instances of alcohol related violence.

A hard hitting television advertisement which starts on Friday 18 December, posters and beer mats and the www.onetoomany.org.uk website are the main aspects of the initiative which also links to Drink Aware, the NHS advice page and the national Alcohol, Know Your Limits campaign.

The advert takes the form of a short video charting the progress of two drinkers as they move from merely merry towards volatile and violent with the campaign aiming to educate young men and women about the negative effects of excessive drinking. 

A new marketing initiative is also being trialled by Humberside Police for this campaign. The adverts will be placed inside of pizza boxes in various takeaways in the area. A specially designed greaseproof paper version of the advert has been placed in the box, so it will be underneath the pizza, so as you eat the advert is revealed.

‘Who’s Going out Tonight’ is one of many initiatives employed by Humberside Police to ensure that people drink sensibly and safely. Officers work very closely with the licensing department to ensure that good and safe practice is adopted by licensed premises, to minimise drunkenness and underage sales of alcohol.

PEOPLE are being urged to keep their Christmas presents off “Burglar Bill’s List”.

The message comes as Humberside Police launches a campaign packed with helpful hints to stop criminals.

Nearly a third of all burglaries could be avoided by following crime prevention advice. 

Sneak thieves are opportunists who take advantage of lax security such as open windows, unlocked doors and unlit houses that show no one is home.

Criminals also take advantage of unlocked vehicles and are more likely to break into cars that have shopping bags on view in them.

As part of the campaign people are being urged to take the online security challenge at www.homesecuritychallenge.co.uk. This is an interactive website that challenges people to put their crime prevention knowledge to the test.

It allows users to view a series of scenarios featuring houses displaying common home security issues.

Visitors to the website can also download a crime prevention leaflet featuring advice about car safety, including information about secure car parks across the Humberside region, and advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime on a night out. 

Keeping wallets out of sight in a crowded bar and keeping your handbag secure will help you to enjoy a crime free festive season and stop Burglar Bill having an early Christmas present at your expense.

Why not take the festive challenge at www.homesecuritychallenge.co.uk and see if you can beat the burglar and enter our free prize draw, you could win a digital safe. 

Handy household Christmas crime prevention tips include:

Ø       Lock all doors and windows

Ø       Store gifts out of sight until Christmas Day

Ø       Use timer switches when going out

Ø       Use a plug-in timer for the radio and don’t leave curtains closed during the day

For further information about Crime Prevention contact 0845 60 60 222 or visit www.humberside.police.uk

To the view Humberside Police leaflet, “Stay Over the Festive Period”; click: HERE

The latest reported crime figures for the East Marsh Ward where released today by Humberside Police, and were posted on their website. The latest figures are unfortunately a week or so later than normal; owing to the fact that all police force data is now fed into the national police website.

The crime figures show that the average number of crimes in the ward has decreased (note: the figure are taken over a 3 month period and compared with the same 3 months last year).

In the same period crime across the whole of North East Lincolnshire has decreased by 17.3%.

Ø      Overall level of crime in the ward has decreased by 17.8% (Over the last 12 months)

Ø      Burglary has decreased by 48.3%

Ø      Robbery has increased by 28.6%

Ø      Vehicle crime has increased by 35.7% (Residents who attend East Marsh Involve, will be well aware that we had expected this figure to rise; due to residents leaving Sat Navs and other valuables in their vehicles unattended. It is important to make sure that you remove all valuables when you leave your vehicle unattended)

Ø      Violence has decreased by 23.9%

Ø      Anti-social behaviour has decreased by 17% 

To view latest crime statistics for the North East Lincolnshire area >>>>CLICK HERE (as well as finding details of overall crime you can find crime level per ward, i.e.: East Marsh, Heneage, Yarborough, Croft Baker, etc.)

The “parking anarchy” that’s prevailed for a number of years across the Borough is about to come to an end in the New Year.

Parking wardens will be back on the streets of North East Lincolnshire in April under to the control of the council and the responsibility will no longer be that of Humberside Police.

A total of £400,000 of council cash will be spent on the scheme, which will lift the burden from Police Community Support Officers, giving them more time to tackle crime.

It is well-known that there have been no traffic wardens operating in the area since 2007.

A new civil parking enforcement guide is due to be released for public viewing in January.

Mick Phoenix, parking services manager for North East Lincolnshire, who has been working on the project, said the finished document will include the responsibilities of the new civil parking enforcement team (CPE), as they are correctly known, along with advice on how to park correctly and how to appeal against a fine.

Mr Phoenix said the plan is to have 15 parking wardens, two senior wardens and a supervisor, who will possibly wear loud orange uniforms with visible logos so they are easily recognisable to the public.

The proposals for the scheme have already been given the thumbs up by cabinet members, although the papers need to go through parliament and be rubber-stamped by the Department of Transport, which is hoped to be achieved by February.

If an Invest and Save approach is adopted for CPE, the borough could benefit economically, as the £400,000 to set it up should be paid back over a period of five years, which can then be used for future projects.

  Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne has given his backing to the Police Federation’s “real policing pledge”.

  The pledge commits supporters to upholding the office of police constable, maintaining the number of police, training police, ensuring adequate police numbers in community teams, and honouring the results of the police negotiating board on pay.

Chris Huhne said: “Acquisitive crime and domestic violence rise during a recession, which is not the right time to cut back on front-line policing. The Liberal Democrats are committed to more police on the beat, and more effective policing on local priorities.”

The “real policing pledge” is a campaign organised by the Police Federation ahead of the general election to highlight crime issues and ask candidates to sign up.

Full details of the pledge are available on www.realpolicingpledge.co.uk

TRADING Standards officers at North East Lincolnshire Council are warning residents to take care should they need to find a handyman to fix their gas boiler this winter season. 

Research recently commissioned by Gas Safe Register revealed that 250,000 gas jobs are done every year by cowboy traders who do not have the necessary skills or qualifications for the task at hand. 

An estimated 7,500 illegal gas fitters are behind these shocking figures, putting thousands of lives and homes at risk every year. They will not only carry out gas work but will take on plumbing jobs, bathroom fitting, kitchen fitting, general building and electrical work. 

Neil Clark, principal trading standards officer, said: “We are very concerned by national figures showing that a quarter of a million gas jobs are potentially botched every year by irresponsible traders who don’t have relevant skills or qualifications. 

“Gas and cowboys can be a lethal mix and we’d urge anyone who needs gas work done in their home to not only make sure the trader carries a Gas Safe card, but that they check the back of the card where it states what appliances the gas engineer is qualified to work on. 

“Don’t use anyone who just drops in a leaflet or just comes to you doorstep to offer their services - they could be anyone. Also check that the address where they are based is legitimate - simple spelling mistakes are often a tell-tale sign. 

“Anyone wanting a Gas engineer should ask around and seek recommendations from friends or family or look at the council’s home services directory, a list of vetted traders. And where possible, get three written quotes for comparison before choosing someone.” 

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for safer communities and public protection, said: “We take this matter very seriously because of the risks to safety involved for our community.