Local Elections and Crime Prevention

With local elections looming for many of us what is actually being said about crime prevention by the various political parties.  I’m asking this because if there’s one thing that local politicians are important for it’s working in partnership with the local police and the community to prevent crime.   

First off I need to make it clear that when I talk about ‘crime prevention’ I’m thinking about the practical things that we can do for ourselves, such as improving our home security using locks and alarms and so on.  But I also want to see the council helping vulnerable people be safe in their homes and making sure that affordable housing stock has appropriate and maintained security. Equally important is that the council should deliver sustainable and effective crime prevention projects, such as alleyway gating and CCTV where it’s needed.  They should be removing graffiti and keeping the streets clean and relighting them if necessary. In other words, they need to be doing all the things that the police can’t do.  

Take Ealing, the borough next to mine, where my old friend and colleague, Patrick Cogan, is standing as a Labour Councillor for the North Greenford Ward.

All the parties in Ealing talk about working closely with the local police service and dealing with anti-social behaviour and drugs, but what are the practical things they’re promising to do

The Ealing’s Labour party’s manifesto promises to install new CCTV, alley gates and street lighting in crime hotspots.

The Ealing Conservative party’s manifesto promises to ensure that CCTV if fully functional and effective and will continue the successful Alleygating scheme

The Ealing Liberal Democrats’ manifesto promises more police involvement with local residents and to support isolated residents with their safety needs

The Ealing UKIP manifesto promises to fight to reopen local police stations and lobby for more police on the beat

So if you’re like me and are interested in preventing crime take a moment to ask the door knocking candidates what practical measures they intend to take to remove the opportunity to commit crime.  Police on the streets, whilst vitally important, are unlikely to make much difference to your individual crime risks.  Research confirms that falls in burglary and vehicle crime, for example, are almost certainly a result of much improved security.  Mrs Jones’s terraced house in West Ealing hasn’t been broken into round the back because of more police on the beat; it’s because the local community blocked the alleyways some twenty years ago with great big gates, partly funded by the local council.

If you’re voting for your local council on 22^nd May and preventing crime is one of your priorities please look closely at what your candidates are saying before casting your vote.