Law and Order
(all figures are compared to 1998-9)
CRIME
Gun crime has doubled under Labour. In 2003-4, a gun crime was committed
every hour in Britain.
Violent crime is up 83 per cent. For the first time ever, more than a
million violent crimes were committed last year. That is more than the
combined populations of Manchester and Liverpool.
Robbery has gone up by 51 per cent.
825,000 more crimes were committed in 2003-4 than in 1998-9 even though
Home Office spending has risen by £5 billion. That is nearly £200 per
household.
Fewer than one in four crimes are now cleared up. This is down from just
under one in three crimes when Michael Howard was Home Secretary.
Only 13 per cent of recorded burglaries are cleared up.
Fewer than half of all violent crimes are cleared up compared to almost
two thirds when Michael Howard was Home Secretary.
POLICE PAPERWORK
Since 2000, more than 350 new regulations have been placed on the police.
Filling in each Stop and Account form, recommended by the MacPherson Report,
takes about seven minutes.
Police officers spend almost as much time at their desks as they do on the
streets fighting crime.
The Home Office has employed 17,600 more bureaucrats but only around
13,000 additional police officers.
PRISON
Over 3,700 offences have been committed since 1999 by prisoners released
under Labours early release scheme more than 500 of which were violent
crimes.
DRUGS
Labour have sent mixed signals on drugs. On the one hand, Tony Blair has
called for drug testing in schools. On the other hand, David Blunkett
reclassified cannabis as a Class C drug.
In 2003 the number of hard drug users reached one million an all-time
high.
CONSERVATIVE ACTION
On the first day of a Conservative Government, we will announce plans to
prevent police officers having to fill in a form every time they stop someone.
Within the first week, we will end Labours early release from prison
scheme.
Within the first month, we will start our new prison building programme and
the recruitment of an extra 5,000 police officers each year.
Conservatives will increase the number of drug rehabilitation places from
2,300 to 25,000 enough for every hard drug addict aged 16-24.
Conservatives will provide funding to restore the number of Special
Constables to their 1997 level.
Conservatives will fully review the effects of the Human Rights Act and if
it cannot be reformed we will repeal it.
Conservatives will curb pointless paperwork and political correctness.
Conservatives will slash the police paperwork that keeps policemen and women
handcuffed to their desks.
Conservatives will reverse Labours reclassification of cannabis.
Our programme of prison building will increase the number of prison places
by 20,000 places over five years. Home Office projections predict a prison
population of around 100,000 at the end of the decade but only 80,000 prison
places are planned.
Promoted by G A Nichols on behalf of Andrew Turner, both of 58 The Mall, Carisbrooke Road, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1BW and by
Island Webservices, 2 Highwood Lane, Rookley, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 3NN
