This Labour Government was elected on a pledge to crack down on antisocial behaviour and make our streets safe again, as part of our Plan for Change.
Town centres and high streets sit at the heart of local communities: places where we come together to spend time, to shop, and to work.
The last Conservative government oversaw a surge in shop theft, street crime, and antisocial behaviour. In Exeter, I hear from residents that our city centre has changed for the worse in recent years, with people feeling unwelcome and unsafe.
So, I’m really pleased that shoppers and businesses in Exeter will benefit from a major coordinated crackdown on city centre crime and antisocial behaviour this summer, which has been launched by this Labour Government.
More than 500 towns have signed up to the Home Secretary’s Safer Streets summer crackdown, which will see officers in town centres during peak times, increased police patrols, and local action to tackle antisocial behaviour. Troublemakers will be hit with targeted enforcement powers and banned from specific areas.
This action is sorely needed. The latest statistics show a 35% rise in shoplifting in Devon and Cornwall, with a 20% rise nationally to record high levels.
Fourteen years of Conservative Government saw neighbourhood policing decimated. The number of PCSOs was slashed by half, while Special Constable numbers were cut by two-thirds.
Local Police and Crime Commissioners have developed bespoke local action plans with police, businesses, and local councils with the aim of supporting town centres to once again become vibrant places where people want to live, work and spend time.
Young people will be supported, too, and the initiative will make sure there are activities across our area for young people, throughout the summer holidays.
This is great news for our community.
Nationally, the Government is also putting bobbies back on the beat, with 13,000 more police in neighbourhood roles over the course of this Parliament, backed by a £200m cash injection in the first year.
We all deserve town centres and high streets free from thugs and thieves, where local shops succeed, and people feel safe. That is what this Labour Government is delivering.
