Crime and Elections

Written by Jenny Randerson and published in Cardiff Post on Thu 10th Apr 2008

With the local elections fast approaching, it is a good time for residents of Cardiff to have a good think about the local issues that really matter to them. There are three issues that always seem to come up in this sort of elections. These are: council tax; cleanliness and crime, as well as many other issues of course.

The Labour party is still reeling from losing control of Cardiff Council in 2004, on a wave of anger about dirty streets and out of control council tax rises. In these elections therefore, they believe that the only issue they are able to campaign on is crime. Now, if I was a Labour party strategist, I would rather talk about their 11% per year average council tax rises than crime, as even this is less embarrassing than their shocking record of failure on making our streets and communities safer.

When the 101 service was set up in 2006, it provided the people of Cardiff with a number to call to report things that in the past went unreported. It is this low-level crime such as abandoned cars, anti-social neighbours and graffiti that I believe ruins our communities and leads to more serious crimes. The 101 service was a huge success, so what did the Labour Government do? They pulled the funding. Approaches were made to the Labour/Plaid Assembly Government for help with the cost of the service, and what did they do? As yet, they have refused to pay anything towards it.

Fortunately, the Lib Dems on Cardiff Council were determined not to let the service close, so working with the police, they found the money to keep the service going.

Labour like to talk tough on crime, but after eleven years in Government, people do not feel any safer, and certain types of the most serious crimes are going up. I was shocked when the Government refused to give our police officers their full pay settlement, particularly as this has left many police officers feeling de-motivated and unsure about whether they want to carry on. On the contrary, Cardiff Council have invested with the police in employing extra PCSOs to patrol areas across the city.

Labour will certainly talk the talk on crime in the coming weeks, but I think their criminal record speaks for itself and it will be an approach that will almost certainly backfire on May the 1st.