The police service is to be reviewed, ‘hard-core’ criminals will be targeted, and greater use made of community punishments under government proposals for the criminal justice system.
The plans are revealed in a detailed Home Office policy report published on 27 March, Building on Progress: Security, Crime and Justice.
Announcing the review, Home Secretary John Reid says: “We are saying you should pay back to the community if you are a non-serious offender by doing unpaid work. One of the lessons we’ve learned is to target the offender, not just the offence.”
The report looks at three key themes: prevention of crime; detection and enforcement; and reforming the criminal justice system.
Tough community punishments are proposed with communities having a voice about what these should be. The report also stresses the critical role of asset recovery, and the government has set a target to double the amount seized to £250m by 2009–10.
The government is launching a review of the police service, led by Ronnie Flanagan, HM Inspector of Constabulary. This will look at: reducing bureaucracy; sustaining improvements to neighbourhood policing;
