'Effective solutions needed to tackle crime not spin'

10.00.00am GMT Mon 22nd Jan 2007

Labour accuses the Lib Dems as being soft on crime while their Government's record is a catalogue of failures"

Northampton Liberal Democrats have today joined their party's national crime campaign launch by unveiling statistics from their Northampton Survey which suggests that 40% of Northampton citizens feel more at risk of crime than a year ago.

"Labour accuses the Lib Dems as being soft on crime while their Government's record is a catalogue of failures" said Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton North Andrew Simpson. "Not only have we seen the Home Office fail time and again to protect the public from know criminals with Labour continuing to talk tough on crime but not delivering".

Under Labour^:

• Firearms offences have double.

• First time violent offenders are more likely to get a caution than go to court

• Over 60% of prisoners are convicted again within two-years of being let out

• Streetcrime and muggings are heading towards the 100,000 a year mark after a rise of 8% in 2006

• Sentences for serious crimes have got shorter whilst Britain has more citizens locked up than any other country in Europe.

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats have proposed a 5 point plan to cut crime as follows:

1)More police on patrol - don't waste billions on ID Cards

2)Take back our Town Centres - let communities close pubs and clubs that cause trouble.

3)Make sentences mean what they say - Life should mean life

4)Compulsory work and training in prison - to cut re-offending

5)Better compensation for victims - paid for by prison work

"We need effective solutions to cutting crime not tough talking" continued Andrew "Our survey shows that a substantial number of people now feel more at risk from crime than a year ago - Labour is failing on crime".

ENDS

Notes:

^ Lib Dem Crime briefing - Source Home Office statistics

• Northampton Survey 2006-07 - analysis from 1,500 responses so far

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