Liberal Democrats : Justice and Crime News Feed

]> Liberal Democrats : Justice and Crime News Feed http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice RSS News provided by Liberal Democrats en-gb Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:39:12 +0100 Copyright Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats In house Liberal Democrats outline youth crime proposals http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14915 Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne, today accused both Labour and the Conservatives of ‘falling over each other to be tough on crime’ as he promoted his party’s new plans for stopping young people from committing crimes. The ideas outlined in the document A Life Away From Crime also highlight how to stop children who have been found guilty of minor offences from committing more serious crimes. The main proposals include: <UL> <LI>Making young people pay back the damage caused to communities without involving the criminal justice system</LI> <LI>The formation of a Youth Volunteer Force to engage young people in activities that benefit local people</LI> <LI>Running nationwide restorative justice programmes, with a particular emphasis on early intervention in schools and care homes</LI> <LI>Creating a dedicated PCSO youth officer in every area to work with teenagers most at risk of offending</LI> <LI>Targeting guns and knives through intelligence-led stop and search, hot-spot policing and action in schools</LI></UL> Chris Huhne said: "If we want to tackle the problem of youth crime, we need to take action early to stop kids from embarking on a life of crime before it’s too late. "The old parties are falling over each other trying to be tough on crime, but nothing is being done do stop young people getting sucked in to a cycle of crime. "Ministers know that programmes to divert kids away from crime work, and are even happy to promote such projects. However, they have failed to fund them properly in favour of punitive policies that grab headlines but achieve little. "It is time for a new approach to youth justice which both prevents crime and confronts young people with their actions if they do break the law." <HR> To read the paper <A href="http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/A Life Away From Crime.pdf" target=_blank>click here</A>. <HR> Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Chris Sims right to criticise centralised police targets - Huhne http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14948 Commenting on criticisms by the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, Chris Sims, of centralised targets, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "The Chief Constable is spot on about the ludicrous results of national targets, that fail to take account of local needs and priorities. "It is local people who should hold police to account for delivering local priorities." Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 New website further evidence of slumping police morale - Huhne http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14947 Commenting on the news that a website has been set up to help police officers get second jobs, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "This is another example of the unintended results and slumping morale caused by ministers’ foolhardy refusal to honour the independent pay award. "Police have particular constraints on what they can do compared with the rest of us as they are not allowed to strike, and have to get permission before undertaking another job in their spare time. In exchange, ministers should keep their promises." Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Alarming drugs figures reveal wasted generation - Gidley http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14945 Commenting on figures revealed today showing the number of under-16s admitted to hospital due to illegal drugs has risen by almost half in a decade, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "These alarming figures reveal a wasted generation. How many more lives will be lost before the Government takes effective action? "As a society we can’t go on seeing so many young lives wasted. We need better education and more powers to tackle the dealers who profit from this human misery. "It is also important that those who want to turn around their lives should receive help in a timely fashion. The current system is tinkering around the edges of the problem." Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Julian Critchley right to reopen drugs debate - Huhne http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14938 Responding to former Government drugs adviser Julian Critchley’s comments that current drug policy is the equivalent of ‘shifting the deckchairs around on the Titanic’, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "Julian Critchley is right to reopen the debate about the Government’s failed policies to tackle drugs. "Offenders who are addicts need medical care or they will merely go out to steal again to feed their habit." Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Government's crass police pay decision compromising public safety - Huhne http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14937 Commenting on today’s Police Federation announcement that frontline police officers are to launch a ‘work to rule’ after the breakdown of talks over pay, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "This is what happens when the Government refuses to honour pay negotiations for a workforce that cannot strike. "Ministers have not only shattered police morale, but their crass decision is now compromising public safety. "This is the first Government that has failed to honour a Police Arbitration Tribunal decision. Its breach of faith is foolish, short-sighted and dangerous." Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Ministers must implement recommendations on the treatment of older prisoners - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14934 Commenting on today’s Chief Inspector of Prisons review of the treatment and conditions of older prisoners, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "This is yet another example of ministers not thinking through the long term consequences of their short term political fixes. "The Government must implement Ann Owers’ recommendations in full." Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Tories' plan would be snoopers' charter - Huhne http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14932 Commenting on Conservative plans to give the police greater powers to conduct surveillance operations against people suspected of non-terrorist offences, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "The Conservatives’ dalliance with liberalism is as dead as a dodo. "In the last few weeks, senior Tories have promised tougher bail conditions, automatic jail for knife carriers and more prisons. Now they want automatic police use of covert video and listening devices, regardless of the seriousness of the suspected crime. "This would turn into as much of a snoopers’ charter as local councils’ surveillance powers for dog mess. We need to roll back the surveillance state, not give it new powers. "We should cut paperwork, but not cut checks and balances on state power being used proportionately." Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Knife sellers must get more than a small fine - Huhne http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14927 Commenting on the Government’s crackdown on people caught selling knives to children, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "I’m glad the Government is finally moving to deal with the growing problem of knives on our streets. For too long, unscrupulous shopkeepers have been allowed to profit from the deadly trade of selling knives to kids. "Ministers must ensure that those caught in future are given more than just the pathetic fines seen in recent years." Commenting on today’s Metropolitan Police figures showing a reduction in the number of people charged for carrying a knife, Chris Huhne said: "These figures highlight the difference between the Government’s tough rhetoric and what actually happens in practice. "No amount of posturing on penalties from Labour or the Tories will be as effective in stopping knife crime as catching the knife carriers. "All the evidence shows that people will be less likely to carry knives if they think they will be caught, and if they see a visible police presence on the streets. The key to this is more intelligence led stop and search and better hot-spot policing." Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Prison overcrowding reveals Government's bankrupt policy - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14913 Commenting on today’s report by the UK Prison Reform Trust which reveals the twenty most overcrowded jails in Britain, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "These figures are truly shocking and show the bankruptcy of the Government’s penal policy. "The answer is not to build more prisons as they would soon themselves fill up. "We need a break with the past and a new approach that restricts prison sentences to those who really have to be there and uses more effective measures such as restorative justice and mental health treatment for those who do not." Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 42-day proposal nothing to do with fighting terrorism - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14902 Commenting on today’s House of Lords Constitution Committee report on the Government’s proposals to extend the maximum detention of terrorist suspects to 42-days, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "The 42-day proposal has everything to do with politics and nothing at all to do with the struggle against terrorism. It should be dropped immediately. "The Government’s insistence that Parliament will not have to decide individual cases is incredible. I’m glad this committee has helped to expose ministers’ misleading claims." Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Centralised targets getting in the way of local policing - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14888 Commenting on the rise in cautions and on-the-spot fines published today, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "Centralised targets are clearly getting in the way of effective local policing. "Although it’s true that not all cases should have to go to court, it’s quite wrong for serious charges to be dealt with in an entirely informal way. "Defendants deserve their day in court and the public deserves to see justice being done." Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Hospital admissions show knife crime strategy failure - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14886 Commenting on today’s study by the Trauma Audit Research Network, which reveals injuries inflicted by gun and knife crime are costing the NHS more than £3m a year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "This disturbing study highlights the burden being placed on the NHS by the recent surge in knife crime. "Recent figures showing the increase in hospital admissions for knife wounds demonstrates that the Government’s strategy for tackling teenage knife crime is failing abjectly. "The solution has to be more knife arches, more targeted stop and search in hot spots, and a sustained campaign in schools and an increase in the likelihood of being caught." Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Jobsworth attitudes delay capture of wanted criminals - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14885 Commenting on today’s report from criminal justice watchdogs. which exposes the excessive bureaucracy involved in the way the police, probation, courts and other agencies work together to handle wanted criminals, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "This is ridiculous. These jobsworth attitudes must go and the whole of the criminal justice system has to work together to reduce crime." Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100 Centralised targets getting in the way of local policing - Howarth http://www.libdems.org.uk/justice/story.html?id=14879 Commenting on the rise in cautions and on-the-spot fines published today, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson, David Howarth said: "Centralised targets are clearly getting in the way of effective local policing. "Although it’s true that not all cases should have to go to court, it’s quite wrong for serious charges to be dealt with in an entirely informal way. "Defendants deserve their day in court and the public deserves to see justice being done." Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100