No more excuses: Taking back control of our streets

For too long, people across our city, towns and villages have told me the same thing: they want to feel safe and secure where they live and work. They want visible and accessible neighbourhood policing. They want action on anti-social behaviour. And they want a relentless focus on the crimes that damage communities every single day, especially those driven by alcohol and drugs.

Recently the Government announced the “biggest crime-fighting shake-up in decades” when the Crime and Policing Act became law.

This new legislation will give police and partners a range of new tools and powers to enable them to tackle the concerns residents raise with me week in, week out,for instance:

• Respect Orders will allow us to ban persistent offenders from town centres and neighbourhoods, putting victims and communities first
• Immediate vehicle seizure powers will enable officers to take action against off-road bikes and nuisance vehicles without delay
• The end of the £200 shop theft threshold means every offence is treated seriously, because no crime is “low level” to the victim
• A new offence of assaulting retail workers sends a clear message: abuse and violence will not be tolerated
• New offences for child criminal exploitation and cuckooing will help us target those who prey on the vulnerable and dismantle organised criminal networks
• Introducing new measures to disrupt drug supply, particularly targeting county lines gangs exploiting children and vulnerable people
• Giving police and partners additional powers to close premises linked to drug use, disorder and criminality.

These are the powers communities have been calling for and we are determined to put them to good use.

In my Police, Crime and Justice Plan, I set out clear priorities: safer neighbourhoods, tackling drug and alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour, protecting the vulnerable and putting victims at the centre of everything we do.

This new legislation strengthens every one of those commitments.

It allows us to prevent crime earlier, intervening before anti-social behaviour escalates into more serious harm.

It helps us protect individuals and communities, particularly those targeted by exploitation, intimidation and repeat offending.

It gives us stronger powers to deter offending and reoffending,making it clear there are consequences for those who persistently cause harm or commit crime.

And it supports a more relentless approach to pursuing offenders, particularly those driving drug-related crime and disorder.

The Act is also underpinned by a renewed commitment to neighbourhood policing, with more named officers visible and accessible in our communities, responding to local concerns and rebuilding trust and confidence.

I am sure you will not judge this legislation by the number of measures it contains; you will judge it by what you see and feel: safer streets, fewer incidents and action taken when problems are reported. As Police and Crime Commissioner, my role is to ensure that happens.

This new legislation provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate that crime will be taken seriously, that victims will be heard and that those who cause harm will be dealt with.

The powers are now in place.

The message is clear.

And in County Durham and Darlington, we will use them to prevent crime,protect our communities, and take back control of our streets!

Ends

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