I was delighted to recently be joined by Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire MP, and Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, at County Mall for a ‘street surgery’. The idea was to allow passers-by and shoppers the opportunity to quiz us on local issues such as policing and crime.
Despite overall crime having fallen by ten percent, Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire MP, asked local residents whether they felt less or more safe in their neighbourhoods. The Home Secretary, Rt Hon Theresa May MP, has increased the proportion of officers now working on the frontline from 83 per cent to 89 per cent. As a result, I am pleased that police forces such as Sussex Police have been congratulated for successfully rising to the challenge of reducing budgets whilst protecting service to the public.
In addition, a number of shoppers quizzed the Home Office Minister over what action was being taken to reduce immigration and to deport foreign criminals.
On the Government’s Immigration policy, as well slashing net immigration by a third, the number of bogus annual student visas has been reduced by more than 115,000; the number of immigration appeal rights is being cut from seventeen to four and with the introduction of the Immigration Bill, the issue of abuse of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which too often is used to prevent serious foreign criminal from being removed, is also being tackled.
On the Government’s approach towards foreign criminals, the Minister confirmed that, where there is no risk of serious and irreversible harm, foreign criminals will be deported first and their appeal heard later. Last year alone, the Government deported over 4,600 foreign nationals – doubling the number being evicted via Gatwick Airport.
With a more local emphasis, Katy Bourne highlighted the continuing work that she is undertaking to ensure that police resources are used more effectively in the local community. Welcoming the Government’s introduction of the online Police Crime Map - www.police.uk - Katy encouraged residents to use the website to raise concerns with their local police teams or for the advice section which details how families can best protect themselves against crime.
Katy also warmly welcomed efforts by the Crawley & Gatwick Business Watch group, of which I am a proud patron, to introduce a pioneering, business-led scheme aimed at tackling local alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour in the community by requiring local stores to label the origin from which high strength alcohol beverages are sold so shops who are irresponsibly selling can be identified.
Henry Smith MP