VISIBLE POLICING AND NEW APPROACHES TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR.
 CONFIDENCE AND JUSTICE 
12th May 2007
Safer
Crime ruins lives. Too many people live in fear, effectively imprisoned by crime and anti-social behaviour in their communities.
But no-one should be afraid to leave their home, to walk
down the street at night, or to let their children play outside.
That’s why Liberal Democrats are doing everything we can
to cut crime.
Our agenda isn’t about headline-chasing, and it isn’t about tough talking and soundbites. It’s about what works.
 More police on the beat, with support from community
wardens and support
Better youth services to get young people off the conveyor belt to crime.
Investment in street lighting
Better drug treatment, and community payback for petty
criminals
Local policing contracts, giving communities a say in how the police operate
Clamping down on graffiti, fly-tipping and vandalism to give people pride in their environment.
Lib Dem run Islington has pioneered Acceptable Behaviour Contracts to tackle anti-social behaviour as early as possible - instead of the cumbersome procedures for ASBOs. They’re now used all over the country as an effective alternative to ASBOs, and even Labour ministers have admitted that Lib Dem ABCs help slash anti-social behaviour.
Liverpool’s Liberal Democrats have cut domestic burglary by a staggering 24% in two years with its innovative project to gate back alleys between terraces.
Crack houses have been closed down in record-breaking numbers by Liberal Democrat Lambeth. When Labour ran the council there were 84 homes given over to crack dealing: that’s been cut to just 10 at any one time.
Liberal Democrats in Somerset are fighting back against antisocial behaviour with a pioneering Community Justice Panel, where offenders are brought before a community jury. Restorative sentences mean offenders pay back into the community to make amends.
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| Council’s performance indicators for 2003-4 | Wandsworth BC | English average | | Domestic burglaries per 1,000 households | 22.63 | 14.5 | | Violent offences committed in a public place per 1,000 population | 17.28 | 10.1 |
Confidence and justice
In Wandsworth we have much progress to make, and the Council must play a full role, alongside other agencies.
For any policy to really work in the long-term, Liberal Democrats believe that there must be:
Focus on deterrence. Above all this means identifying and
catching those who commit crime. Criminals are not
deterred by the prospect of harsh punishment; they are
deterred by the risk of being caught.
Involvement across the whole community to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. This is not just a matter for the law enforcement agencies.
Fairness and justice. Everybody expects criminals to be punished, and serious crimes to be punished harshly. But harassing innocent people, from minority groups or otherwise, breeds resentment, and undermines the forces of law and order in the long term.
Liberal Democrats in Wandsworth will fight for:
The Council to lead and facilitate a co-ordinated approach across all agencies to deter crime, involving genuinely representative community groups.
A more visible presence of authority, especially in town centres and housing estates. This should include the
restoration of street patrols funded directly by the council, unless adequate alternatives can be found. There should be a particular focus on late-night hot-spots.
Use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts as a means of
managing known potential offenders. These have proved
much more effective than the tough-sounding but inadequate ASBOs.
Effective management of offenders. Sentencing should be tough, but this should be integrated with a properly coordinated approach to prevent re-offending.
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Liberal Democrats call for REAL action on anti-social behaviour
The local Lib Dem team is increasingly concerned about the rise in anti-social behaviour in areas such as Merton Road.
Local campaigner Adam Towner said: “Ensuring people feel safe in their homes and communities is at the heart of what we stand for as Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem councils have been at the forefront of efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour, for example Islington’s Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, and Sutton’s anti-graffiti strategy.” “Liberal Democrats supported the introduction of ASBOs but we believe they should always be accompanied by other interventions to tackle the causes of the offender’s behaviour.”
Southfields Lib Dem Tony Burrett stated: “Our proposal for ‘ASBOplus’ would ensure that services like mediation, counselling, advice on debt management, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation are provided to tackle the causes of nuisance behaviour at the same time as the ASBO places restrictions on the individual’s movements and actions.”
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October 2007: 
