Labour demands safety assurances as prison overcrowding means police chiefs ordered to arrest fewer people

Following reports that police chiefs have been ordered to arrest fewer people as a last ditch measure to address prison overcrowding, Peter Lamb—Labour candidate for Crawley—has written to the Home Secretary to demand assurances that the new edict will not put residents’ safety at risk.

Prisons in England and Wales are currently facing record prison numbers, a situation which has been developing slowly over a number of years. Despite this slow growth, a lack of action means that there is now a crisis in our prisons, resulting in the early release of prisoners without any assessment as to the risk they pose to the public.

Now, the police are reportedly being asked to arrest fewer people, leaving the public potentially at risk of violent criminals and sending a clear message to criminals that they can offend without risk of punishment.

Labour’s Peter Lamb, has written to the Home Secretary seeking assurances that Crawley residents will not be put at risk by this decision. The letter is reproduced in full below:

Dear Mr Cleverly

Crawley residents will have read with horror the news that police chiefs have been ordered to arrest fewer people because your government has mismanaged our prison system.

This is the truly shocking state of law and order after 14 years of Conservative Government. Arrests have already halved since 2010, yet now police are being told to make even fewer – because of your party’s failures and chaos. That means more criminals let off, more victims let down.

It is a damning indictment of the appalling mess the Conservative Party has made of our country. Our NHS is on its knees, families are struggling to make ends meet, there is sewage in the rivers, and now our police are told not to arrest criminals.

Residents in Crawley will understandably be alarmed at the prospect of police being forced to let criminals off the hook. You must urgently answer the following questions:

• How long do you expect police chiefs to be ordered to arrest fewer people?

• Have you given any consideration to the impact of this policy on the people of Crawley, and will you publish that assessment?

• Can you guarantee that this policy doesn’t put the safety of people in Crawley at risk?

• Can you assure the people of Crawley that this policy will not result in a rise in crime?

• When does your government expect the crisis to be over – when do you expect that the order to arrest fewer people will be lifted?

The sad truth here is that your government has lost control. It feels in Crawley like you have given up, and we are paying the price. It’s time for change. It’s time for a Labour Government.

You will understand that Crawley residents are deeply troubled by these reports – they deserve an immediate response. I look forward to receiving it.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Lamb
Labour candidate for Crawley