Labour

Cameron's record on crime is lamentable - Cooper & Khan

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to David Cameron’s proposals on community punishments today, said:

"David Cameron's record on crime is lamentable. He is committed to the loss of over 16,000 police officers, with 90% of  losses in the first year of his Government coming from the frontline. He is committed to reducing the powers of the police - restricting their use of DNA evidence and CCTV. And on anti-social behaviour he is committed to abolishing ASBOs and weakening the powers of residents and the police to tackle this scourge of some of our communities.

"We have seen an 11 per cent rise in personal crime, which includes robbery, theft and violence against the person, which is the biggest increase in over a decade. Labour cut crime by 43 per cent and the Government's goal should be to build on that progress with further reductions.

"David Cameron and Theresa May need a strategy to cut crime and not police officers - they need to be reducing the powers of gangs and criminals and not the police, otherwise it will be communities across the country that suffer. With fewer police officers on the streets to prevent crime and catch criminals, people will take tough talk from David Cameron with a large pinch of salt."

Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, said:

“The Government must not play hard and fast with our justice system for a quick headline. If community sentences are to gain the confidence of the public and of victims they must both effectively punish and reform offenders.

“Alternatives to custody focusing on reparation, work, education and training can play a key role in punishment and reform. But the Government need to reassure the public that dangerous and violent offenders won't be eligible for community sentences.

“However, with youth justice and probation services being severely cut, those charged with enforcing conditions on offenders and maintaining public safety are being set an almost impossible task.

“Given the track record of this Tory-led Government on justice policy our fear is that this is the latest wheeze to slash costs by reducing prison numbers and not, as it should be, about delivering more effective punishment and reform.”