Crime

Fighting crime

I have been appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Nick Herbert MP, Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice.  This means I am right at the heart of the debate on the Government’s policies on policing and rehabilitation.

As you may know crime policy in London is now under the jurisdiction of the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. The Mayor has made tackling crime his number one priority, with the result being that crime levels have come down significantly:

• Crime levels overall have fallen by 8.8%.
• Murders have fallen by an average of 25% which is lower than at any time since 1978.
• 10,000 knives have been taken off the streets.
• Youth crime has fallen by 15%.
• Robberies have fallen by 20%.
• Rape crisis provision has been quadrupled.
• In 2012, there are one million more police patrols per year, compared to when he took office.

I meet regularly with the Hounslow Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Carl Bussey and police officers to discuss local crime trends and patterns. From these meetings, I have been able to build a greater understanding of local policing needs and what we need to do to cut crime in the Hounslow Borough.

In Hounslow, I know police are working hard to combat some of the most prevalent local issues. Priorities are getting knives off the streets, tackling alcohol related crime and combatting domestic violence.

The Home Office have set up a website at which you can see what crimes have been committed in your local area. It will also tell you about your local neighbourhood policing teams and the work they are doing to cut crime on your street. You can visit the website here.

I also attend twice yearly meetings with the Hounslow Community and Police Consultative Group, to understand and discuss local issues and concerns. The group is a representative voice of the local community on policing issues and works hard to communicate concerns to the police to find real solutions.