In July 2021 the Government published its 50-page Beating Crime Plan.

It contains no specific reference to our area but the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, Alison Hernandez, has applauded the strategy.

She says: ‘I welcome the investment in early intervention with young people. We have seen the remarkable benefits of this first-hand with our Turning Corners scheme which has made a big difference to lives and communities in South Devon.’

Local crime statistics can be found at https://www.police.uk/pu/your-area

The Government has described crime as ‘a scourge on our society’.

The Beating Crime Plan sets out means of achieving a ‘shared vision of fewer victims, peaceful neighbourhoods and a safer country’.

The Government states that overall crime – presumably recorded crime - has been falling but that ‘this is not a reality recognised or enjoyed by all.’

There have been increases in homicide and knife crime, with drugs playing ‘a prominent role’.

Additional resources made available since 2019 include almost 9,000 extra police officers, 440 new prosecutors, 1,000 extra probation officers and 18,000 new prison places.

£70 million has been invested in the Safer Streets Fund, £105.5 million in Violence Reduction Units, £165 million in the Supporting Families Fund and £65m in tackling drugs supply and county lines.

Nearly a quarter of neighbourhood crimes are concentrated in just five per cent of local areas.

Just five per cent of offenders account for up to 50 per cent of all crime. Drugs ‘often play a prominent role’ and in the year to March 2020 48 per cent of homicides were drug-related.

New measures to drive down crime include:

Reconnecting the police with the public. Everyone in England and Wales will have access to the police digitally through a national online platform which provides contact details about neighbourhood police officers.

Improving the responsiveness of local police to 101 and 999 calls by developing league tables for answering calls.

Intervening early to keep young people safe including a new £17 million package focused on those admitted to A&E with a knife injury or following contact with police.

Investing over £45 million in specialist teams in both mainstream schools and Alternative Provision in serious violence hotspots to support young people at risk of involvement in violence to re-engage in education.

Expanding use of electronic monitoring for serious acquisitive offenders to a further 13 police force areas covering half the country

Trialling the use of alcohol tags - which detect alcohol in the sweat of offenders guilty of drink-fuelled crime – on prison leavers in Wales.

Encouraging prison leavers to ‘turn their backs on crime’ by securing employment.

A summit later this year will bring employers together to encourage more prison leavers to enter employment.

The Government has its own goal of recruiting 1,000 prison leavers into Civil Service roles by the end of 2023.

Empowering the police to take more knives off the streets by permanently relaxing conditions on the use of section 60 stop and search powers.

Expanding the role for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) Equip PCCs with additional ‘tools and levers’.

Measures to tackle drugs include:

Investing £31 million to expand Project ADDER– combine ‘tough law enforcement’ with increased provision of treatment and recovery services to eight new local authorities across the country.

Increasing the police’s use of drug testing on arrest.

Delivering a cross-Government summit to work up a comprehensive package of measures that will ‘drive down demand for illegal drugs and tackle these challenges across society’.

In his foreword, Prime Minsister Boris Johnson states:

‘Combining prevention, deterrent and enforcement, it will give the fantastic men and women in our police and criminal justice system the tools they need to keep people out of trouble in the first place, and to hammer those who persist in breaking the law – whether they’re on the streets, behind closed doors or on the internet.

It gives the law-abiding majority the respect and support they need and deserve should they fall victim to any crime.

And it sends a very clear message to criminals – be they fraudsters, rapists, vandals or the vile individuals who prey on young children to run County Lines gangs – that we are coming for you.’

Plenty of pledges from the Government here, let’s hope they can actually deliver what’s needed on the ground.