Labour continues crime policy blitz with plans to clamp down on neighbourhood drug dealing, answering the 13 million people that say drugs are a blight on their community
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Labour has today announced plans to clamp down on neighbourhood
drug dealing and rid Britain's town centres of drug dealers. New
crime figures analysed by Labour have revealed that 13 million
people say drug dealing is a blight on their local community.
Labour says it has heard from people who don’t want to shop in
their town centres anymore and businesses who close to early
because they see organised drug dealing and persistent antisocial
behaviour and police patrols...Request free trial
Labour has today announced plans to clamp down on neighbourhood drug dealing and rid Britain's town centres of drug dealers. New crime figures analysed by Labour have revealed that 13 million people say drug dealing is a blight on their local community. Labour says it has heard from people who don’t want to shop in their town centres anymore and businesses who close to early because they see organised drug dealing and persistent antisocial behaviour and police patrols have disappeared. Labour has also heard from residents deeply upset that nothing is being done about organised drug dealing outside schools and in nearby homes. The Party’s latest policy, as part of a suite to tackle antisocial behaviour, includes tough powers for police to shut down crack houses. As part of the previously pledged 13,000 neighbourhood police and PCSOs and alongside new town centre patrols, Labour will introduce data-driven hotspot policing targeted at common drug dealing sites to tackle the local gang networks and dealers who are blighting communities. Hotspot policing would mean that, where there are surges in reporting of local drug dealing in particular areas or at particular times, neighbourhood police would be deployed to flood the area to arrest and deter dealers. Using new technology, neighbourhood police will target areas including outside schools and town centres which are often vulnerable to drug dealing. Hotspot policing is acknowledged by experts to be one of the most effective ways of preventing local crime. Harnessing technology to reform public services is a theme through Labour’s emerging domestic policy agenda. This latest announcement follows Labour’s plans to toughen up and extend closure powers for drug dens and provide police with new Respect Orders to target persistent repeat antisocial behaviour offenders. Labour will also introduce a new law on Child Criminal Exploitation to crack down on the gangs luring children and teenagers into crime. Labour has also pledged a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood police and PCSOs to Britain’s streets. The plans come on the back of Labour’s ‘crime week’, in which they have sought to emphasise their leader’s credentials as a former Director of Public Prosecutions. Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said: “Preventing crime and keeping our streets safe is personal for me. As Director of Public Prosecutions, I locked up terrorists and dangerous criminals, and put victims first. As Prime Minister I’ll do the same. "Thirteen years of Conservative rule have left our public services in tatters. Criminals have free rein, offences are skyrocketing, and this rudderless, tired government can’t get a grip. “My Labour government will crack down on neighbourhood drug dealing, get tough on gangs and roll out hotspot policing to show criminals enough is enough. Funding 13,000 more police, we’ll end soaring crime in Tory Britain. "For the safety of families across the country, it’s time for change.” Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: “For too long the Conservatives have sat back and allowed criminal gangs to grow - dealing drugs on the streets, in town centres and even outside schools. “Parents really worry about drug dealers hanging around the school gates or gangs trying to recruit kids into crime. We will make sure the police can swiftly target serious or dangerous hotspots to keep communities safe. “Labour will crack down on the gangs with a tough new law to stop gangs exploiting and grooming children into crime. And we will deliver 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and PCSOs on our streets.” Ends Notes Labour’s Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan:
○ Increase the length of time a closure notice could be issued for from an initial 48 hours to 72 hours. ○ Increase the length of time a closure order can be granted from an initial minimum three months to a minimum of six months. ○ Extend the ability of an extension for six months up to 12 months.
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