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See other news storiesNew crime strategy released
19 July 2007
The government's new crime strategy announced today looks to the future after 10 years of success cutting crime rates.
The crime strategy, Cutting Crime: a new partnership, signals a renewed focus on tackling violent crime, and offers improved support for victims of violent crime. It also calls for maintaining and strengthening efforts to stop anti-social behaviour.
One key element is making information about crime available to local communities. The Home Secretary announced today that, from July 2008, everyone will be able to access straightforward, street-by-street information via the internet about crime in their area.
Building on success
The strategy comes on the heels of a decade of falling crime rates. Since 1997, overall crime has fallen by a third, while car crimes and burglaries have been halved.
Now the government must build on that success, while also addressing new issues that have emerged as society and technology have evolved.
Key points
Key elements of the strategy include:
- strengthening the focus on violent crime - tackling violent crime by addressing the issues that drive violence, intervening early to prevent it, and responding robustly to violent crime through the criminal justice system, as well as providing services for victims
- designing out crime - a new design and technology alliance of independent experts in design, consumer affairs and crime will look for more ways to use design ideas to stop crime - such as rendering mobile phones unusable if stolen
- continued pressure on anti-social behaviour - bringing all areas of the country up to the standards of those communities that have the best records for tackling anti-social activity
- focusing on the young - young people are often very concerned about crime, and are frequently victims of crime, so this strategy focuses on early intervention, and closer links between schools and police
Hard work must continue
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the strategy builds on the work of thousands of dedicated people, who have been working tirelessly to make neighbourhoods safer.
'Collectively, we have learned an enormous amount about what works in tackling crime. We must now carry that knowledge forward into new areas and find new ways of working as well as innovative solutions,' she said. 'This document is a roadmap to achieving that.'
