Violent crime continues to rise in Tottenham 27/07/04

New Government crime statistics expose rising violent crime

William MacDougall, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Tottenham pointed to new crime figures published by the Government last week as evidence that Labour have failed to be 'tough on crime'. The figures released by the Home Office on 20 July show that in the last year, violence
against the person rose by a further one per cent in Haringey.

MacDougall said: "No amount of statistical manipulation can conceal what everyone in Tottenham already knows: violent crime continues to rise. The rise in violence against the person is especially worrying, and shows yet again that the Government is not making enough headway in tackling crime and disorder. These figures will come as no surprise to the millions of people up and down the country who suffer daily from crime.

"Whilst I support the hard work of Police, the problem is that the Government's plethora of initiatives and vast bureaucracy are preventing the police from doing their job. Conservatives have a series of practical proposals to address the crime crisis:

1.. An extra 40,000 police officers across England & Wales, with 8539 allocated to London.

2.. 18,000 new hard drug rehabilitation places to give young hard drug-users a clear choice: intensive, residential rehabilitation or face the penal system.

3.. Directly elected police boards, with the Home Office's current powers over local policing transferred to local people, accountable via the ballot box.

4.. Resist Liberal Democrat plans to let burglars escape jail and abolish mandatory life sentences for serial rapists."

Notes to Editors:

The Government published new crime statistics on 22 July 2004:

Home Office, Crime in England and Wales 2003/2004:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0304.html

'Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships - Recorded Crime for Key Offences 2002/03 to 2003/04', break down the change in the 6 key times of crime by local authority area. Figures on the absolute number of offences are listed in the Excel chart. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/cdrptabs.xls

ENDS.