Liberal Democrats vote for effective action on crime

6.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 3rd Mar 2007

Liberal Democrats can cut crime

Birmingham Liberal Democrats have welcomed new proposals to cut crime and anti-social behaviour adopted by the party at this weekend's conference in Harrogate.

Party members have been carrying out a survey of residents about the effects of crime, and will be publishing some of the findings later this spring.

Councillor Robert Wright said "These proposals would make those causing vandalism and graffiti clean up the mess they cause and make them carry out tough community sentences. The debate also highlighted the Government's mess over prisons and the problems caused by the increasing re-offending rates, now the highest in Europe. Under Labour too many people go to prison, get released early and go on to re-offend. Liberal Democrats proposals will break that cycle by greatly expanding prison training schemes."

Councillor Wright added "We will ensure more people leave prison, having served their proper sentence, as people with marketable skills who are a benefit to society rather than people who go straight back into a life of crime. It is already clear from that people in Birmingham are very concerned about crime but are fed up with Labour's tough posturing and failed promises. People are also concerned about the need to have more police officers and prefer to use the money Labour plans to waste on the ineffective Identity Card scheme spent on employing more police instead."