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Put police on patrol, says Brown Tackle fear of crime, says Brown
(about 2 hours later)
Gordon Brown has told police forces to keep officers on the beat in an effort to increase the public's confidence in law and order. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged police forces to keep officers on the beat in an effort to reduce the public's "fear of crime".
The prime minister said it was not "acceptable" to miss the government target of having neighbourhood Pcs on patrol for at least 80% of the time. He said it was not "acceptable" to miss the Home Office target of having neighbourhood Pcs spend at least four fifths of their time on patrol.
Mr Brown also told councils and police forces not to cut budgets for front-line law enforcement.Mr Brown also told councils and police forces not to cut budgets for front-line law enforcement.
In a speech, he disputed the Tories' claim that Britain is "broken".In a speech, he disputed the Tories' claim that Britain is "broken".
The prime minister's comments come as the main political parties step up their campaigning ahead of the general election, which is expected to be held on 6 May.The prime minister's comments come as the main political parties step up their campaigning ahead of the general election, which is expected to be held on 6 May.
'No reason''No reason'
The government says Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) should spend at least 80% of their time on the beat, respond to non-emergency inquiries within 24 hours and hold monthly beat meetings. The government says Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) should spend most of their time on patrol, respond to non-emergency inquiries within 24 hours and hold monthly public meetings.
In a speech in Reading, Mr Brown said: "At the pre-Budget report, we made the commitment to protect central government funding for front-line policing - because I know how important our police are to people, and so there will be no reason based on central government funding why police or PCSO numbers should fall. In a speech in Reading, Mr Brown said the risk of being a victim of crime was the lowest since the British Crime Survey started in the early 1980s.
We don't tackle the fear of crime cultivating it, by claiming our society is broken Gordon Brown
But he added: "We must understand the fear of crime and what's behind it.
"Fear of crime is higher when people don't see police on the streets, when they don't believe that police are able to deal with things that matter to them."
Mr Brown confirmed plans for a new non-emergency number to inform police about anti-social behaviour.
He also said there would be an expectation that anyone breaching an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) would be prosecuted, and that the parents of those under 16 would also face action.
People would be able to petition online for "extraordinary" meetings with police chiefs, to raise matters of concerns, he added.
'Not The Wire'
In his speech to the Conservatives' spring conference on Sunday, party leader David Cameron reiterated his claim that Britain is a "broken society", citing family breakdown rates, violent crime statistics and teenage pregnancy rates.
But Mr Brown said: "We don't tackle the fear of crime cultivating it, by claiming our society is broken... Sometimes as damaging as the fear of crime is the crime of fear."
He criticised shadow home secretary Chris Grayling's comparison of Britain with US TV show The Wire - pointing out that the city of Baltimore, where it is set, experiences almost 200 fatal shootings a year from a population of around two-thirds of a million, compared with 39 in the whole of England and Wales last year.
He also urged councils and police forces not to cut funding for police patrols, saying: "At the pre-Budget report, we made the commitment to protect central government funding for front-line policing - because I know how important our police are to people, and so there will be no reason based on central government funding why police or PCSO numbers should fall.
"But police funding in this country has always and rightly been part national and part local."But police funding in this country has always and rightly been part national and part local.
"So my challenge to local authorities and police authorities around the country is to match our commitment to protecting front-line policing - or else explain to their communities why they are not prepared to do so.""So my challenge to local authorities and police authorities around the country is to match our commitment to protecting front-line policing - or else explain to their communities why they are not prepared to do so."
Mr Brown also said the risk of being a victim of crime was the lowest since the British Crime Survey started in the early 1980s. In other pre-election campaigning on Monday, shadow schools secretary Michael Gove will promise that a Tory government would, within days of taking office, introduce legislation to give schools greater freedom over the curriculum, staff and discipline.
But he added: "We must understand the fear of crime and what's behind it. Fear of crime is higher when people don't see police on the streets, when they don't believe that police are able to deal with things that matter to them." Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will stress the importance of early years education in the home and pledge £2.5bn to help cut class sizes.
Mr Brown said the use of CCTV and DNA technology was "crucial" in the fight against crime.
People would be able to petition online for "extraordinary" meetings with police chiefs, to raise matters of concerns, he added.
Mr Brown said: "We don't tackle the fear of crime cultivating it, by claiming our society is broken... Sometimes as damaging as the fear of crime is the crime of fear."
Class sizes
In his speech to the Conservatives' spring conference on Sunday, party leader David Cameron said: "Some people say to me that I'm wrong to talk about the broken society, but I say when you've got the highest rate of family breakdown in Europe, when you've got one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy, when there are a million violent crimes committed every year, when there are 100 knife crimes committed every day, when a seven-year-old child starves to death in Birmingham, our second biggest city, and no-one does anything about it, which bit of broken society don't these people understand?"
Speaking to head teachers on Monday, shadow schools' secretary Michael Gove will say a Tory government would, within days of taking office, introduce legislation to give schools greater freedom over the curriculum, staff and discipline.
Meanwhile, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will stress the importance of early years education in the home and pledge £2.5bn to help cut class sizes.
In a speech to the Salvation Army in London, he will call on all parents to provide the support their children need to thrive.