Labour’s crime reduction agenda has been founded on the most famous of 1990s political soundbites: ‘Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.’ It has been guided by two principles: building partnerships to reduce crime and modernising and intelligence-led policing.
Partnership is the Government’s central approach. The 1998 Crime and Disorder Act both established local Crime and Disorder Partnerships and the current youth justice system.
This local co-ordinated approach has been reinforced by strengthening the role of the police Basic Command Unit and spending on such initiatives as CCTV, domestic violence and neighbourhood wardens.
And, for the first time, the 2000 Comprehensive Spending Review established clear crime reduction targets for other government departments.
These partnerships aim to reduce such core causes of crime as drug-dealing, truancy, alcohol abuse and weak communities.
But we are developing other partnerships as well. There is now unprecedented co-operation between all the law enforcement agencies to take on those massive world criminal organisations which make vast profits from trafficking hard drugs, migrants or laundered money, as well as international paedophile networks and terrorist organisations.
These partnerships extend internationally as we co-operate with other law enforcement agencies and establish more efficient means of co-operation throughout the European Union.
We have strong crime prevention partnerships to reduce vehicle crime, burglary, retail crime, alcohol-related crime and credit card fraud.
In the criminal justice system itself the main agencies – police, prisons, probation, crown court, magistrates court and Crown Prosecution Service – are beginning to work together much more closely.
Lord Justice Auld’s review of the criminal justice system will take this partnership approach further still, as will the current sentencing review.
Partnerships can only succeed on the basis of high quality intelligence. We are exploiting the very rapid advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and basic science. These include the development of compatible ICT across the criminal justice system, for example by computerising records, providing a modern police radio system, enabling on-line reporting of crime and linking the Police National Computer to other important databases such as those concerning DNA and firearms.
This co-operation in turn requires better data-sharing between organisations. We have legislated to facilitate this as well as funding practical programmes.
A major contribution to this intelligence-led approach has been the development of an effective national DNA database, which has recently added its millionth member, with substantive funding to enable police forces to contribute properly.
The decision to allow police in certain pilot areas to use income from speed camera fines for more road safety investment has already shown significant reductions in fatalities and injuries.
Finally, we have been working with industry to develop ‘chipping’ of goods to inhibit many aspects of volume crime.
More widely, steps are being taken to modernise policing by putting in place a proper national training regime, establishing the disciplines of best value management and developing stronger leadership.
A critical element in this process of modernisation is improving relations between the police and their local ethnic minority communities. Following the MacPherson Report, a comprehensive set of recommendations for change is being energetically followed.
There is a long way to go, but already crime levels are falling with particularly dramatic improvements in the levels of vehicle crime and burglary. Police numbers are now increasing across the country for the first time in seven years.
It is a strong record of achievement in reversing decades of shocking Conservative neglect.