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Smith vows 'clear deal' on policing
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People are the best weapon in fighting crime, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said.
Speaking about the "policing pledge" scheme, Ms Smith said the new initiative would give the public a "clear deal" on what to expect from police.
All 43 police forces in England and Wales have promised that by January 1 they would meet the pledge, which includes a police commitment to setting priorities with local communities and updating them on progress at least once a month.
It also requires officers to respond to calls concerning agreed priorities within an hour and neighbourhood policing teams to spend at least 80% of their time "visibly" working for the community.
West Mercia Constabulary, which covers Ms Smith's constituency of Redditch, today became the final force to unveil its pledge, during a visit by the Home Secretary.
Ms Smith said: "Local people are our best weapon in fighting crime and anti-social behaviour.
"People need to know what they can expect from the police and the police service.
"That is all spelt out in the national policing pledge that all police forces have signed up to by the end of this year - that's what I'm celebrating today on the last day of 2008.
"It means then as we go forward we can see people, as I've seen here this morning, more confident about reporting their concerns to the police, more able to get information about how to keep themselves and their communities safe and what's actually happening when they report that information."
Reader views (3)
Just another knee-jerk, headline grabbing statement by our usless Home Secretary, Missy Jacqui Smiffy!! Just another empty wind bag bellowing 'Big Ideas' out like a wheezy pair of bellows. Just all hot-air, mouth and trousers, and no substance whatever!!
- Uncle Vanya, Chelmsford UK, 31/12/2008 17:10
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So there will be even more government targets for them to be seen to be achieving rather than getting on with the job of crime-fighting then will there?
Not a million miles away from the tactics they used to render the National Health Service virtually useless a couple of years ago methinks!
- Andi-M, London, England, 31/12/2008 17:01
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"People are the best weapon in fighting crime, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said"
In other words sort it out yourself as the police won't.
- Tom, Watford (UK), 31/12/2008 13:35
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