Policing and justice

I have long campaigned against ID card proposals. I believe that local policing in Hounslow has improved in recent years with the introduction of Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs). However anti-social behaviour can still blight the lives of local people from the knocking over of rubbish bins to GBH. However I argued in a recent video (left) that there is now a significant opportunity to support the police with more effective local justice.

I continue to advocate the creation of Community Justice Panels in order to bring more attention to anti-social behaviour like this that is sometimes missed or ignored by the criminal justice system. The panels, made up of responsible local people, would have the power to address minor offences that have a corrosive effect on the life of a neighbourhood. The panels would be able to issue Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) when the offender admits to their crime.

The restorative action agreed is designed to engage the offender in recognising that their offences have a negative effect on both others and themselves. This system has been successful in Chard & Sheffield and often avoids the need for an ASBO. This provides the offender with a strong incentive to comply in order to avoid a criminal record. In the Chard (Somerset) pilot only two ABCs were breached.

The Coalition Government's proposals for elected Police Chiefs should be piloted and a number of key questions remain unanswered: What is the impact of this politicisation on decision-making? What are the costs of the elections, and how are the costs covered? What happens to candidates that don't win? And what percentage turnout can be achieved...?

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