ACS

Local people will be able to choose how money from a £4 million criminal assets fund is spent in their area, alongside further targeted work to tackle property-related crime and a tougher approach to dealing with prolific offenders announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Justice Secretary Jack Straw today.

Speaking today at the first conference for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), the Prime Minister unveiled the Government's updated crime strategy - Cutting Crime: Two Years On - and set out the Government's commitment to tackling the new crime challenges the country faces. The action the Government is taking will build on existing policies to prevent crime and deliver responsive, visible justice which has resulted in a fall in crime of almost 40 per cent since 1997.

Operation Vigilance will initially run for one year before being reviewed and will build on partnership working between local agencies to develop new methods of tackling property crimes like burglary and theft with a view to sharing best practice on a national scale.

The virtual courts scheme enables defendants charged in a participating police station to appear in a magistrates' court via a secure video link, speeding up first hearings and so freeing up police and court resources and improving the service given to victims and witnesses. It follows a prototype study in July 2007 at Camberwell which found that the time between charge and first hearing could be cut from an average of 10 days to around four hours.

This builds on proposals in the recent Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Green Paper to give communities more say in the way justice is delivered in their neighbourhoods. The green paper included pioneering a package of measures in 30 areas across England and Wales to test a range of initiatives that will deliver justice for all and put people back at the heart of the justice system.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Since 1997 overall crime has dropped by nearly 40 per cent and we continue to deliver on our vision of communities where people feel confident to live their lives, free from fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.
"Britain is far from broken and we have acted decisively against new and difficult challenges to save lives from knife-crime and gang-related violence. We are now facing tougher economic times and I am determined, when people are feeling less secure financially, we will do everything in our power to protect their safety and security.

"That is why we're publishing an updated Crime Strategy to address those new challenges and to show the army of police and partners across the country that we keep listening and taking action. Together we will continue to build safer communities."

It will also see a Retail Crime Action Plan drawn up to tackle business crime, backed with £5 million. This is part of the £20 million announced by the Home Secretary at a burglary summit held at the Home Office on 4 February. ACS is in talks with the Home Office and other organisations about the progress of this scheme. Members should contact Jenny Brown on 01252 515001 for more infomation.