Crawley MP welcomes Summer Blitz on town centre crime and antisocial behaviour

Shoppers and businesses in Crawley can expect to see more police patrols and local action this summer as part of a national crackdown on town centre crime. Labour MP for Crawley, Peter Lamb, has welcomed the initiative, which will see more officers on patrol during peak times to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

This ‘blitz’ is part of the new Labour Government’s Plan for Change. The plan will also invest in 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSO roles throughout this Parliament, supported by a £200m injection in the first year. The increased presence will be backed by stronger prevention and enforcement efforts from police, councils, and local partners.

During the course of the  Conservative government, shoplifting soared, with a 70% increase in shoplifting in their last two years in office alone, a result of fourteen years of cuts to neighbourhood policing which saw the number of PCSOs halved and Special Constables cut by two-thirds.

Beyond increased patrols, the new initiative also includes a focus on young people. It will support activities for young people in towns across the country to keep them engaged throughout the holidays.

The Home Office, police, and retailers are also launching a new strategy called ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together.’ This plan will use shared data to disrupt organized criminal gangs and other offenders, including those with addictions and opportunistic thieves. The ultimate goal is to create thriving town centres where businesses and communities can flourish, supporting the government’s mission to raise living standards and back local economies.

Peter Lamb, Labour MP for Crawley, spoke in favour of the initiative:

“For years, people have been raising with me the impact local crime and anti-social behaviour has upon their lives and the community as a whole. Since the election, the Government has got to work rebuilding neighbourhood policing as part of the mission to restore confidence in the criminal justice system.

“It will take time to get things back to the way they were before the Conservatives took power, but with initiatives like the Summer Blitz, we can start to restore control over our streets and ensure that law abiding people in communities like ours can feel safe again.”

In making the announcement Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary, said:

“High streets and town centres are the very heart of our communities. Residents and businesses have the right to feel safe in their towns. But the last government left a surge in shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour which has left too many town centres feeling abandoned.

“It’s time to turn this round, that’s why I have called on police forces and councils to work together to deliver a Summer Blitz on town centre crime, to send a clear message to those people who bring misery to our towns that their crimes will no longer go unpunished.

“The fact that Crawley has signed up shows the strength of feeling locally on this issue.

“Through our Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change, we are putting officers back on the beat where you can see them and making our town centres safe again”.