Derby Lib Dems press case for effective action on crime

5.00.00pm GMT Thu 1st Mar 2007

Derby Lib Dems want tough action taken to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour

Liberal Democrats from Derby are heading to Harrogate this weekend to attend the party's spring conference, including Councillor Fay Winter who is on Derbyshire Police Authority and Councillor Lucy Care Parliamentary Spokesperson for Derby North. Among the top concerns they will be raising will be crime and anti-social behaviour.

Party members in Derby have been carrying out a survey of residents about the effects of crime. Survey co-ordinator Councillor Lucy Care is planning to discuss the concerns of residents with Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Clegg MP.

"The opening Conference Rally and one of the main debates at conference are about tackling crime," said Lucy. "Delegates will be discussing Lib Dem plans to make those causing vandalism and graffiti to clean up the mess they cause and to carry out tough community sentences.

"We will also be highlighting the Government's mess over prisons and the problems caused by the increasing re-offending rates, now the highest in Europe. Under Labour too many prisoners get released early and go on to re-offend. Liberal Democrats will break that cycle by greatly expanding prison training schemes.

"We will ensure more people leave prison, having served their proper sentence, as people with marketable skills who are a benefit to society rather than people who go straight back into a life of crime.

"Our survey shows that people in Derby are very concerned about crime and are fed up with Labour's tough posturing and failed promises. People are also concerned about the need to see more police officers on the beat and would prefer to use the money Labour plans to waste on the ineffective Identity Card scheme spent on employing more police instead."

So far, almost 4,000 people in Derby have returned responses to the Liberal Democrats' crime survey.