07/09/2004
Scheme to target UK's 'most prolific criminals' rolled out
The 5,000 most prolific, anti-social and disruptive offenders in the country – who commit around 1 million crimes each year – will be targeted by their local police and criminal justice agencies from today.
The initiative, which is a key plank of the government's five-year strategic plan to build safer communities, will see law enforcement agencies in England and Wales go on the offensive to target the "small core of prolific offenders which are responsible for the most crime", the Home Office said.
The 'prolific and priority offender scheme' uses police intelligence to target the offenders who are responsible for the most crime, ensuring that all agencies concentrate their resources. The strategy is designed to prevent and deter; catch and convict; and rehabilitate and resettle.
Visiting Leeds today, which is targeting a minimum of 100 prolific offenders, the Home Secretary David Blunkett that authorities would no longer tolerate the huge costs inflicted on communities by a disaffected minority.
Mr Blunkett said: "From today, the efforts of the police and all the criminal justice agencies across the country will focus on this high-offending group, not only to catch them and bring them to justice but to stop them re-offending in the future.
"Offenders will be targeted with intensive programmes like drug treatment to help steer them away from crime and closely supervised to make sure they stick to them. If they do not comply they will be fast-tracked into the criminal justice system, their case closely followed throughout and once back in the community they will be monitored using hi-tech tagging and tracking technology."
Mr Blunkett also visited Bradford today to see, three years on from the disturbances, how local people have been working to rebuild and strengthen their community.
"Building strong, active communities is a long-term task for everyone. It takes sustained action by local people, local partnerships such as Bradford Vision, and the government to bring about change. I am heartened by the dedication and commitment to that task I found in Bradford," he said.
(gmcg/mb)
The initiative, which is a key plank of the government's five-year strategic plan to build safer communities, will see law enforcement agencies in England and Wales go on the offensive to target the "small core of prolific offenders which are responsible for the most crime", the Home Office said.
The 'prolific and priority offender scheme' uses police intelligence to target the offenders who are responsible for the most crime, ensuring that all agencies concentrate their resources. The strategy is designed to prevent and deter; catch and convict; and rehabilitate and resettle.
Visiting Leeds today, which is targeting a minimum of 100 prolific offenders, the Home Secretary David Blunkett that authorities would no longer tolerate the huge costs inflicted on communities by a disaffected minority.
Mr Blunkett said: "From today, the efforts of the police and all the criminal justice agencies across the country will focus on this high-offending group, not only to catch them and bring them to justice but to stop them re-offending in the future.
"Offenders will be targeted with intensive programmes like drug treatment to help steer them away from crime and closely supervised to make sure they stick to them. If they do not comply they will be fast-tracked into the criminal justice system, their case closely followed throughout and once back in the community they will be monitored using hi-tech tagging and tracking technology."
Mr Blunkett also visited Bradford today to see, three years on from the disturbances, how local people have been working to rebuild and strengthen their community.
"Building strong, active communities is a long-term task for everyone. It takes sustained action by local people, local partnerships such as Bradford Vision, and the government to bring about change. I am heartened by the dedication and commitment to that task I found in Bradford," he said.
(gmcg/mb)
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