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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to tackle street robbery. [57080] Mr. Denham: Tackling street crime is now a top priority for the Government. However, it is recognised that it cannot successfully be tackled by the police and criminal justice agencies alone. That is why the Government set up the Street Crime Action Group in March of this year. This group, chaired by the Prime Minister, has brought together all relevant Government Departments, criminal justice and other agencies to work together to identify and address weaknesses in the current systems. This includes preventative action as well as action designed to detect offenders and deal effectively with them through the courts. The programme of action has been targeted and accelerated in 10 police force areas accounting for over 80 per cent. of street crime, since April 2002. The Government have to date announced a number of measures to help tackle the issue of street crime. These include: the funding of the roll-out of VIPER video identification equipment to enable video ID parades in the 10 areas; the nomination of 67 specialist street crime courts in the 10 areas to fast-track street crime cases and provide separate facilities and support to victims and witnesses; the launch of a CPS Premium Service for Street Crime offenders with experienced prosecutors working with police in a dedicated investigation and prosecution service; the extension of bail powers through the greater use of electronic tagging, ISSP orders, new curfew conditions and the provision of more secure accommodation places for juvenile repeat offenders; greater powers to remand into custody persistent young offenders aged 12 to 16; a £66 million DfES package to tackle bad behaviour and truancy in schools, and to support summer activities; the introduction of the Mobile Phone Re-programming Bill to outlaw the re-programming of mobile phones. Further to support the policing operations in these areas the Government have announced the following additional funding allocations: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ Avon and Somerset 2,340,000 GMP 2,390,000 Lancashire 835,000 Merseyside 1,700,000 Met 13,130,000 Nottinghamshire 1,052,000 South Yorkshire 1,600,000 TVP 1,500,000 West Midlands 1,880,000 West Yorkshire 1,800,000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

57080; 386 c799W;386 c799-800W

Session

2001-02

Question not reached

Yes

Subjects

Crime prevention Crime Finance Police Robbery Mugging

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk