Crime & Safety Policy Statement

Community Policing First

• Place officers back into local neighbourhoods so they are visible, approachable, and trusted.
• Build strong relationships with residents, schools, and local businesses to prevent crime before it escalates.
• Shift focus from centralised, reactive policing to proactive local presence.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

• Immediate responses to persistent issues like vandalism, noise, and street drinking.
• Use community payback schemes so offenders give back directly - cleaning graffiti, repairing damage, or supporting local projects.
• Shift focus from centralised, reactive policing to proactive local presence.

Youth Crime Prevention

• Invest in youth clubs, apprenticeships, and sports programmes to keep young people off the streets and engaged in positive opportunities.
• Partner with schools and training providers to identify at-risk youth early.
• Link with local training and housing schemes (as already developed) to give young people real alternatives to crime.

Rehabilitation, Not Just Punishment

• Expand rehabilitation for non-violent offenders, focusing on skills training, education, and drug/alcohol treatment.
• Reduce reoffending by preparing prisoners for employment and reintegration.
• Community-based sentences where appropriate, ensuring justice while building responsibility.

Zero Tolerance on Violent & Organised Crime

• Stronger police action against gangs, knife crime, and organised drug networks.
• Strengthen border and port security to disrupt trafficking
• Expand undercover and digital policing to target online crime networks.

Domestic Abuse & Vulnerable Protection

• Specialist units within every local police force for domestic abuse, stalking, and child exploitation.
• More safe houses and long-term support for survivors.
• Ensure frontline officers are fully trained to respond sensitively and effectively.

Community Responsibility & Justice

• Encourage community courts for low-level crimes, with restorative justice at the heart.Justice
• Strengthen local volunteer schemes - street wardens, neighbourhood watch, and community safety ambassadors.
• Build a culture where crime prevention is everyone's responsibility.

Balance & Community Voice

• Place officers back into local neighbourhoods so they are visible, approachable, and trusted.
• Build strong relationships with residents, schools, and local businesses to prevent crime before it escalates.
• Shift focus from centralised, reactive policing to proactive local presence.