Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Her Majesty The Queen has outlined the Government's plans for the year ahead at the State Opening of Parliament today. At the heart of the Government's legislative programme is a commitment to reform and rebalance the criminal justice system to deliver justice and to safeguard the interests of victims, witnesses and communities.

The crime reduction elements can be summarised as follows. Further details will be added as they are made available.

Anti-Social Behaviour

The Government will introduce a Bill to tackle anti-social behaviour, intended to make it easier to evict anti-social tenants. The use of fixed penalty notices will be extended and the number of people enforcing them increased. Measures will be introduced to tackle graffiti, use of spray paints, fly-tipping, vandalism and dangerous use of airguns, and fireworks.

Sentencing & Criminal Procedures

A Bill will be introduced to reform sentencing arrangements and criminal procedures.

Sentencing will be reformed to ensure that the punishment is appropriate for the offender. New types of sentence will be introduced to protect the public from dangerous offenders, help reduce re-offending and deal with young offenders.

The Bill will also allow retrials for those acquitted of serious offences where new and compelling evidence emerges. It will also simplify the rules of evidence to allow judge and jury to hear all the facts, including relevant previous convictions of a defendant.

Click here to link to the Criminal Justice Bill

Court Service

Legislation will also be introduced to reform the courts system. It will bring together Magistrates' Courts and the Crown Court to work more effectively under a single organisation. New sanctions will allow courts to enforce the payment of fines more efficiently.

Sex Offences

A Bill will be brought forward to modernise the laws on sexual offences and to strengthen the framework of penalties for sex offenders to protect the public.  The bill will crackdown on paedophiles using the Internet. It will strengthen the Sex Offenders' Register by tightening notification requirements and broadening offences that trigger registration.

Click here to link to The Sexual Offences Bill 

Click here for information on Home Office Circular 66/2002 Sex Offender Orders - Amendments in the Police Reform Act 2002  PDF 424 KB

Drug Trafficking

A Bill will also be introduced to improve international co-operation in tackling crime, including drugs trafficking, and to modernise the arrangements for international mutual assistance to catch criminals.

Licensing Laws

The Government will bring forward legislation to streamline the licensing system for premises selling alcohol. This will abolish fixed opening hours and introduce a range of measures to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Click here to link to the Licensing Bill (HL)