Islington welcomes Lib Dem plans to tackle youth crime (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Islington welcomes Lib Dem plans to tackle youth crime

August 21, 2008 3:50 PM

Local Lib Dem campaigner and parliamentary candidate Bridget Fox meets Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP has launched new national proposals to tackle youth crime. Islington's Lib Dems have already put more police on the streets in the borough, put dedicated PCSOs into schools, and put Restorative Justice principles into action - so welcomed the national announcement, hoping that policies proven on the ground in Islington could act as a model for a nation-wide scheme to reduce youth crime.

The plan aims to deter crime and get young people involved in positive activities that benefit the local community. It includes:

10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme.
Intelligence-led stop and search and 'hot spot policing' targeted at gun and knife crime.
Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending.
Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action.
Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes.
The creation of a youth volunteer force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects, and give them skills to benefit them in later life.

Working hand-in-hand with the police, Islington's Lib Dem council has already launched an innovative new Restorative Justice scheme in the borough to tackle antisocial activities. Police officers have already helped to settle minor disputes before they could escalate into more serious crime or antisocial behaviour.

Islington council has also paid for extra dedicated Police Community Support Officers to go into schools. All secondary schools now have a Safer Schools Partnership Team and a team of 18 additional PCSOs look after Islington's Primary schools. At the end of the school day, they have provided an invaluable presence around schools, giving a visible presence around bus stops and train stations, and areas known to crime hotspots. They also travel on the bus routes around the borough. The crime in these areas is going down.

Councillor Terry Stacy, Islington's Lib Dem community safety chief and a Justice of the Peace, said:

"Once again, Islington is at the forefront of coming up with tough new ways to deal with crime and antisocial behaviour, and these proposals from the Liberal Democrats would go a long way to reducing youth crime across the country.

"People who break the law should pay for what they've done. It's common sense that vandals should be forced to clean up their mess, and that criminals should be made to pay back the community they've wronged.

"The Labour party have simply run out steam, and are out of ideas for making our streets safe."