Here is an overview of my thoughts about the manifestos of the main parties with regards to crime and policing in relation especially to Tower Hamlets within the Greater London Metropolitan Police context. Check back for further additions to this.
Liberal Democrats.
It’s in 11. place for this party, see link to it here. Very disappointing manifesto.
- Free up local officers’ time
- A National crime agency to tackle fraud already exists, it’s ReportFraud and monthly Fraud and Scam intelligence is already being compiled and distributed by City of London Police for the whole of Greater London. We already have a National Crime Agency.
- Capita PLC has been appointed to operate the contact centre on behalf of the City of London Police and provide the technology to enable reporting, such as a new website and reporting tool. PwC UK will provide the technology services for the crime and intelligence management that underpins the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). PwC UK will also support the City of London Police integrate and manage the services.
- The new service with both suppliers will become operational in Q2 2024.
- The reason why officers are not available locally is because of distractions for demos and emergencies in other areas. The Lib Dems don’t even mention this.
- Help rebuild public trust in policing
- The removal of Police and Crime Commissioners and replacing them with local police boards made up of Councillors and representatives is simply not feasible. Mayor of London has created a local policing board and that is made up of non elected members. It’s been heavily criticized for having appointed and not elected members on it.
- Local Councillors are already over-stretched in their work and I can’t find many who actually spend a lot of time on Policing and crime.
- The recommendations of the Baroness Casey review are already acted upon and regularly discussed at the MOPAC meetings, whereby the Commissioner of the Police Sir Mark Rowley reports regulary. I also think the Casey review doesn’t go far enough in addressing officer’s well-being and working conditions.
- Other items in this category are not linked to and only referred to by name like ‘Hillsborough law’.
- Staffing shortages. The Met already have a comprehensive recruitment strategy and do their utmost to recruit, however the reasons why officers don’t want to stay or not as simple and cover areas like ‘media profile of police’ cost of living in London, working conditions e.g. no stations, no canteens, inability to choose deployment areas and times. Overall the Lib Dems don’t seem to know the particular of the policing reality.
- Domestic abuse In Tower Hamlets there is a dedicated VAWG strategy in place. The shortage of save accommodation is a national problems and falls within housing shortage, it’s not something that can be fixed so easily. There already is a dedicated LGTB officer assigned. The local force is very diverse.
- Mental Health London already addresses this by no longer dealing with Mental Health cases unless lives are at risk. This is already being done by operators.
- European Crime is already being addressed with a newly established European crime agency. NCA signed up to a new working arrangement with Europol in Sept 2021.
- Stop and Search. Very disappointing that here the term ‘ending the disproportionate use of stop and search’ is used. We have a very concerning increase of knife killings and even shootings. Stop and Search must be increased and and not reduced.
Conservatives
Safer Streets and justice for victims of crime See full manifesto here. pdf format
The tone of this manifesto is much more police positive, it talks of brave police rather than be critical outright. It has practical and effective ideas to improve safety and increase crime prevention.
Statistics relate to the national crime levels falling considerably but Greater London is a different matter.
- Neighbourhood policing
- Want to increase police Neighbourhood numbers with 8,000 more officers nationally, which is a minute amount of officers for every ward and dedicate officers to wards, which is more than welcome as distractions remove our officers from the local beats.
- New powers and technology like facial recognition, much needed in an ever denser environment where people do not know each other any more.
- Fair and proportionate accountability.
- Public trust in policing
- License officers for specialist roles and appropriate vetting. Sacking officer who fail scrutiny.
- NCA and Counter Terrorism policing partnership
- Martyn’s law requiring better risk assessment for premises
- Community payback and electronic tagging
- Hot Spot policing, has cut ASB in areas by 50%.
- Violence against Women and Girls VAWG. The laws to protect victims of stalkers and revenge porn, controlling, coercive behaviour have been strengthened already. 25-year prison term for domestic murders proposed. Rough sex no longer usable as excuse for murder.
- Justice. Automatic half-term prison release system has been stopped.
- Tougher sentencing. for knife crime, grooming gangs, assaults against retail workers.
- Offenders attending hearings, will be a requirement.
- New prisons. Pledging to build four new prisons and scrapping legacy EU rules.
- Rehabilitation more investment to stop reoffending and offering alternative lawful careers prospects to break the vicious circle of crime.
- Victims of child sexual abuse. redress scheme that reflects their needs.
- Restricting sex offenders from changing their names.
- David and Goliath scheme. enabling small business and individuals bringing cases against wealthier opponents assistance.
- New Extremism definition.
- curbing disruptive protests
- Public Order Act 2023
- ban face coverings, pyrotechnics and climbing on war memorials.
- prevent protests that pose a risk of serious disorder.
- ban protests outside schools
- protection for elected representatives
- Zero tolerance for antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred.
This manifesto is packed full of very important points, all really needed. Without these proposed improvements I see little chance of improving the dire state of law and order in Greater London or Tower Hamlets.
What I am missing here is a referral to the car crime pandemic we are suffering, Tower Hamlets being the worst borough in the UK through car related ASB and crime. Perhaps its covered in hot spot policing. We discussed the issue of TH specific car crime with the ASB officer from Tower Hamlets Council who informed us that the enforcement of this crime is the responsibility of Highways officers.
Overall the Liberal Democratic demands are not properly thought through and show very little knowledge of what is actually going on in policing and crime. Their demands are not thought through and not costed or related to actual policing strategies.
The Green Party
This manifesto does not have the usual approach to policing and crime and is called:
“Defending Human Rights, Democracy and Justice”
The Green Party only guarantees to defend the values of: “hate crime, misogyny and violence against women and girls, Islamophobia and antisemitis”
This manifesto is endangering public order and wants to stop the prevent program, which specifically aims to prevent the building of terrorist cells and acts of terrorism.
Yet they want to repair the crumbling court system with an investment of £2.5 Billion but remove the “Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, the Public Order Act and other legislation that erodes the right to protest and free expression”
They don’t want more police but address the underlying social factors of knife crime and put up more bleed kits, lighting and CCTV. Quite astounding that the Greens want more lighting to fight crime when that has a carbon foot print and disturbs wild life.
Social Democratic Party SDP
calls their Manifesto “Homecoming” with one page about crime and justice.
- SDP want a strong, well-resourced police force and criminal justice system, which will pay for itself by deterring crime and boosting economic growth. That sound very good.
- The Nolan principle is put as the only measure of all law and order frameworks. The current government operates to this principle.
- Don’t want power transferred from parliament to judges. That is very important in some law and order court cases.
- trial by jury, presumption of innocence, freedom from pre-trial prejudice and right to legal representation are very good principles, which I support.
- Want to significantly increase resources for police in high-crime Neighbourhoods, which is similar to the Conservative Hot Spot policing. Police’s only metric is detecting and reduction of crime in Neighbourhoods.
- All cases to be trialled 3 months after charge, to build orderly prisons whatever it takes.
- Sentences for repeat offenders and violent crime to be doubled. Anyone convicted or 3 serious offences, when over the age of 18, to serve a minimum of ten years in jail.
- All released prisoners guaranteed work, government funded if not found a job with employer otherwise. This is definitely encourage employers to wait for funding, rather than pay the wages themselves. But a great principle, to be recommended.
- Graffiti, vandalism and ASB will not be tolerated, with perpetrators subject to exemplary and visible community service orders. That is in stark contrast to Labour’s and Aspire’s policy in Tower Hamlets to leave all graffiti where it is unless the building owner complains.
- Non-British citizens who serve jail time will be swiftly deported upon release from prison, and permanently barred from re-entry
- Cannabis will remain illegal and on-the-spot fines will be enforced for use.
This is a very outspoken manifesto with relation to crime and policing and really wants to crack down on crime.
Animal Welfare Party
Can’t detect a Manifesto as such on the party website but found the following with relation to policing and crime
- Increasing penalties for those convicted of animal cruelty – the current government has raised the maximum sentence to five years.
Reform UK
Can’t find an election Manifesto for the 2024 general election as such on their website. But there is a page ‘our contact with you’, which mentions a policing section.
- accuse the government to be soft on crime and failing police leadership. I’m not sure that the police leadership can be blamed when the police has to work within the current legal framework.
- Paperwork wastes huge amounts of police time. Crime solving is at an all-time low. Charging rates have collapsed to around 5%. These statements are not backed up by statistical evidence.
- Increase police numbers
- England and Wales have 235 police officers per 100k population. One of the lowest levels in Europe. France has nearly 300 police per 100k population. Commence recruitment to increase UK per capita police numbers to 300 per 100k population. That is 40,000 new front-line officers, over a 5 year parliament.
- Zero tolerance policing
- Clampdown on all crime and antisocial behaviour. Prison for all violent crimes and possessing a knife. Half of acquisitive crimes are drug related. Dealing
and trafficking will get mandatory life imprisonment. A new offence of substantial Possession of Drugs will meet heavy fines. Increase Stop and search Substantially. It is a proven deterrent to knife crime.
- Clampdown on all crime and antisocial behaviour. Prison for all violent crimes and possessing a knife. Half of acquisitive crimes are drug related. Dealing
- Police recruitment and leadership to prefer ex-military officers.
- More Bobbies on the Beat
- Ensure that police return to the beat and use better technology to stop wasting time on paperwork. Visible policing stops crime before it starts. Allow PCSOs to become police officers before the role is phased out.
- Common sense policing, not ‘woke’ policing
- Scrap all Diversity, Equality and Inclusion roles and regulations to stop two-tier policing. Protect the public without fear of favour. Reform the The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) so that the police complaints system works for the law abiding public.
- Not sure what two-tier policing refers to, neither is the term ‘woke’ defined.
- Scrap or Reform Police and Crime Commissioners.
- PCCs do not have sufficient power to make a difference. Yet some employ 30 staff. That could be 30 more police officers on the beat. Either they get the power to make a real change or they should go.
- I also think that where the PCC is the same person as the Mayor and the party in charge is soft on crime, that causes an extra problem.
- De-Politicise the College of Policing
- Instead, prioritise crime prevention, discipline, public service and high standards of strength and fitness. Replace degree-standard entry with an entrance exam. Require officers to complete a 2-year probationary period.
- I must say that the officers on training as degree entry, get allocated cases and cannot continue investigation whilst they are on university leave and a case gets paused for that reason.
- Met Police Officers already have a 2-year probationary period.
Labour
- Halve serious violent crime and raise confidence in the police and criminal justice system to its highest levels, within a decade.
- Halve the level of violence against women and girls.
- Halve the incidents of knife crime.
- Raise confidence in every police force to its highest levels.
- Reverse the collapse in the proportion of crimes solved
- The number of serious violent offences recorded by the police has increased from 41,401 in 2011 to 53,777 in the year ending September 2022.
- The proportion of women who self-report as a victim of domestic abuse,
sexual assault, stalking has remained static over the past 10 years. - The proportion of the public that believe the police is doing a good job has fallen from 67% in January 2021 to 47% in March 2023.
- The detection rate for offences has fallen drastically from 28.2 % in 2010 to 9.5% year ending September 2022.
- The number of average days victims wait from offence to completion in the Crown Court has increased from 412 days (Q1 of 2014) to 631 days (Q3 of 2022).
- The proportion of cases closed, due to the victims not supporting further action has increased from 8.7% in March 2015 – 25.5% in September 2022.
This manifesto is hard to read as there are long articles about everything and the stats used are quite old, relatively speaking. The Met in Greater London has already prioritised Violence against Women and Girls as one of the main concerns. With respect to knife crime, Met Police has reduced Stop and Search on request from MOPAC with a Labour Mayor of London and PCC. One reason for Met Police under-performing in my view, is the closure of police stations and the quality of working environment been eroded by removing their canteens in the remaining open station in Tower Hamlets. Leaving officers having to pop into supermarkets or use cafes in the high street.
Police Powers
Many times I read people demand the removal of Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. These demands are misguided. See as follows:
“I’ve got tens of thousands of good men and women who go out day in and day out just trying to be fair and sensible.”
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley spoke to @Baddiel and @SayeedaWarsi on protest, freedom of speech and the limits of police powers.
🎧 Listen to the full episode below
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jMmlPqR1M3cDIVMk1tEBh
Tower Hamlets Crime Watch 
You must be logged in to post a comment.