New Reforms Put Public At The Heart Of Policing

The first ever local elections to give people direct influence to tackle crime in their area, along with new powers for councils to tackle problem pubs and clubs were among measures unveiled today by the Home Secretary Theresa May.

In a bold shift of power, the Government outlined plans to move decision-making out of Whitehall and end the restrictive era of top-down bureaucracy with a new framework of democratic accountability for the police.

The new Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill will also rebalance the Licensing Act to give the public and local agencies an even greater say over policies to tackle crime and disorder.

The Bill includes:

• New police and crime commissioners from May 2012 to be directly elected by the public, set local policing priorities and hold Chief Constables to account whilst protecting the operational independence of the police
• Measures to give communities and local authorities greater control over alcohol licensing to tackle problem premises. They will have new powers to restrict premises from selling alcohol late at night if necessary and be able to clamp down harder on premises who persistently sell to children - doubling the fine to £20,000
• A stronger local influence on licensing decisions by allowing everyone the option to comment on licensing applications - not just those living close to premises, and ensuring health and policing concerns are considered more widely so that the impact of licensing on crime and disorder or public safety can be taken into account
• Introducing a late night levy allowing councils to charge for late-night licences to pay for extra policing - leaving premises to pay rather than the taxpayer
• Immediate powers to temporarily ban the latest "legal highs" as soon as they become a cause for concern and with tough penalties for those caught trafficking or supplying temporarily banned substances
• Restoring the right to non-violent protest, whilst ensuring that the area around Parliament Square is free from tents and other structures

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "These new measures will place the public back at the heart of our drive to cut crime, giving them a say in how their local area is policed by electing a Police and Crime Commissioner, and strengthening the powers that police and councils need to tackle crime and disorder at a local level.

"For too long, the fight against crime has been tangled up in a web of centrally imposed red tape that has driven a wedge between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

"I am determined to rebalance that by giving the public and the police and councils the powers they need to deal with the issues that blight too many of our communities."

(BMcN/GK)