Sentencing
ACS was successful in our lobbying to the Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP) to ensure prison remained the ultimate sanction for shop thieves. SAP had indicated that they were considering abandoning prison as a punishment for shop theft, even for repeated shop thieves. ACS will continue to campaign for our belief that shop crime must be treated more seriously by police and magistrates.
ACS is currently responding to the Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice consultation, a copy of which can be downloaded here http://consultations.cjsonline.gov.uk/?conid=1. The consultation closes on the 31 June. Please contact Jenny Brown with any comments.
ACS is also working with the opposition parties to ensure that crime is high on their political agenda. ACS submitted evidence to the Conservative Crime Commission’s inquiry into retail crime, and ACS vice-chair Jonathan James gave evidence to the committee in early 2009. The chair of the Commission Philip Dunne MP also spoke to ACS’ Crime Prevention Forum in March 2009.