No-one should excuse the disgraceful behaviour of louts involved in the recent disturbances and looting. They were oblivious to how their actions blighted communities and Britain's reputation. In the cold light of day, long after leaving the courtroom, many will rue their moment of madness. Those who died don't have this luxury.
The full force of the law must be used not just to punish but also to deter others. It is fashionable to portray left-wingers as soft on crime. But I am clear that ordinary people suffer most in such disturbances and their rights should always come before criminals.
Punishment is just the starting point. We also need a dispassionate and detailed understanding about how a country renowned for tolerance, good humour and respect for the law can be engulfed in such ugliness.
A proper inquiry should assess the balance of many contributory factors from fatherless families, ingrained inequality and idleness to gang culture, policing tactics and more. The PM finally conceded something similar.
We are all furious but cannot forget our common humanity and the need to rehabilitate offenders rather than just write them off.
I know from personal experience the depths of despair that some young people can sink to when chances to live as full a life as their parents is snuffed out. I saw young lads in mining communities in the 1980s and 1990s turn to thieving and drugs when Tory governments slammed the door on the world of work. Lads who would have been ostracised at home and work for such bad behaviour felt unconstrained.
Thankfully, huge resources for policing, education and other supportive mechanisms over the last two decades increased opportunities for our young people. We went from car crime capital of the world in the 90s to seeing many more people than before stay in school, embrace higher and further education and match their aspirations to a wide menu of options.
Sadly that progress is endangered by the present government's madcap view that everything else comes second to deficit reduction. They are risking a repeat of past mistakes to defend the very banks and markets that caused the deepest recession in living memory but which now restrain growth, stifle demand and risk a double dip recession.
The clearest example of how far this government is out of touch concerns policing cuts, despite our recent experience. London was only saved by drafting in officers from across the UK. If things had kicked off in our region, could our lads and lasses in blue have protected us?
Public services need to make the most of public funds and new technology through greater efficiency. The police have been doing this but there is a limit before essential functions are threatened.
I respect the skill and determination of the rank and file officers who expertly prevent crime, apprehend those who perpetrate it and see they are punished.
I am, therefore, deeply worried when the Police Federation tells me of their
"grave concerns that the loss of so many police staff and officers and the unprecedented reduction in the police budget will ultimately lead to a rise in crime."
The biggest police staff union, Unison also says that Northumbria will lose 800 civilian and 500 uniformed staff as well as 11% of Community Support Officers. Backroom staff dealing with forensics, fingerprints, detention, research, analysis, training, communications and admin will go. Their vital roles will either go undone or be taken on by officers diverted from the front line.
Northumbria also relies more on central government grants and will be hammered even more than leafy counties which have more local resources to cushion themselves.
More intensive policing is needed, amongst other changes, but it's empty rhetoric without sufficient resources, however many panicked gimmicks are thrown at creating cheap headlines. This reckless gamble with policing is the wrong reaction to recent tragic events and should be reversed.
Newcastle Chronicle and Journal
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