Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex election candidate visits Harlow

Nick Alston, the Conservative candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex elections in November, was the guest at a dinner in Old Harlow last night (Thursday).

Mr Alston visited the constituency as part of his campaign ahead of the Police and Crime Commissioner elections on November 15.

More than 40 local residents and a number of Epping Forest and Harlow councillors attended the dinner.

The elections for Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex are incredibly important because for the first time residents in Harlow will have a say about their policing.

The Commissioner has the power to set the local police precept and will be able to encourage more police on our streets.

Nick Alston has an outstanding record in counter intelligence. He is a true Essex man and was even born in Harwich Police Station!

I know that if Nick becomes Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex that he would be tough on crime and anti-social behaviour and would do his best to get more police in and around our neighbourhoods.

Mr Alston, an ex-Navy officer, was born into a police family in Essex, his father retiring as Deputy Chief Constable of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Constabulary in 1971.

Mr Alston attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, went to Cambridge University and then served as an officer in the Royal Navy, and later in public service working in national defence and security. He was appointed CBE in 1997.

Nick Alston said: "Residents expect the Police to protect Harlow's green spaces. It is an important local priority.

“If I am elected in November, that is exactly what will happen. My message is simple: We need policing which meets the needs of each and every local community and which keeps the concerns of the victims of crime at its core. I want a more prompt and professional police response - every time.

“There needs also to be a joint and greater focus on stamping out anti-social behaviour, which is not just a policing issue.

“My experience in national and international security will ensure the people of Essex and the Essex Police have an experienced and influential voice to represent them.

“With your help, I would be honoured to serve Harlow, as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex.”

VIDEO: Should private firms police the Olympics?

Following the fiasco involving the G4S security firm - who have now said that they may be unable to supply the 10,000 security officers for the 2012 Olympics - today in Parliament I asked the Home Secretary to consider whether private security firms should be involved at all in future state events.

To the Home Secretary's credit, she came to Parliament to answer questions - even though the mistake had actually been made by private firm G4S.

Given that the British Army has now been drafted in, G4S now have serious questions to answer. You can watch the full video above.

by Robert Halfon MP - Working Hard for Harlow.

Residents must fight back against crime by using police.uk website

Harlow MP Robert Halfon with Home Secretary Theresa May and Essex Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle  

After worrying incidents of anti-social behaviour in Great Pumtree, a local coach, and Harlow town centre - all reported in last week's Harlow Star - it is vital that residents fight back by coming forward to speak with the police if they are witnesses, and also to hold Essex Police to account online through the new website Police.uk.

The website is a new online tool, which for the first time means that local people can track if criminals are caught, and whether they were taken to court.

In the next stage of development of www.Police.uk, Harlow residents will not only be able to access street level crime data but also see what action the Essex Police Force have taken as a result and whether offenders are sentenced, fined, or go to jail.

We are all used to reading the reports in the Harlow Star when crimes are committed. But residents deserve to know what is being done about it. Was someone arrested for the crime? Did they go to court? Did we get justice? This new tool puts that information at our fingertips.

After the terrible attacks in Great Pumtree, a local coach, and Harlow town centre - all reported in last week's Harlow Star - we now need zero tolerance on anti-social behaviour.

Harlow people will not put up with thugs and criminals ruining our neighbourhood.

The work to provide justice outcomes on Police.uk has been taken forward by the Home Office, National Policing Improvement Agency, the Ministry of Justice and police forces across England and Wales.

The UK government has already made more open data sets available than any other Government in the world. This open data is making public services such as justice, transport, health and education more transparent and accountable. It is also driving economic growth as it used to create useful applications.

The Government will publish further open data commitments and set out a robust framework to strengthen access to data shortly.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Do YOU have what it takes to be a Police and Crime Commissioner?

The Conservative Party needs a candidate for the job of Police and Crime Commissioner in Essex: COULD IT BE YOU?

We need a Harlow candidate and I would encourage local residents to put themselves forward.

Applications are NOW OPEN for anyone who would like to apply to stand. The law has been changed so that after the November elections, the Chief Constable of each county will report to an elected county Police and Crime Commissioner, instead of to the existing county police authorities.

This is about cutting crime and anti-social behaviour in our town, and helping to put more police on the street. Harlow has some experienced people who would make fantastic candidates. Whether they are ex-Police Officers, or have been senior leaders in other fields, I am encouraging Harlow people to go for it, and put themselves forward.

Police and Crime Commissioners will not be expected to run the police. However, they WILL hold Chief Constables and the wider force to account, and keep them in touch with public opinion.

The Conservatives will choose who will be their candidate this May, in preparation for the elections on Thursday, November 15.

This is a very big change in the way our Police are held accountable. Essex Conservatives are determined to field the very best candidate - and I believe we need someone from Harlow. You don’t have to be an active Conservative or even a member of the Party to apply. There are no formal qualifications required, but we are looking for people with a genuine track record of leadership.

Anyone who would like to apply to be the Conservative candidate in the forthcoming elections for Essex Police and Crime Commissioner can write to me at halfon4harlow@roberthalfon.com

UPDATE: getting to grips with immigration

UK net migration since 1991.

In the 1990s, net immigration into Britain was in the tens of thousands. But under Labour, it rocketed and kept rising.

In towns like Harlow, this led to widespread concern and public anxiety about immigration. What happened in the Labour years is now well-known. In the boom decade, the number of people employed in the UK economy increased by 2.9 million. But 1.6 million of the jobs were taken by foreign workers. That is why many of our young people face unemployment today.

I am clear about this: The Government MUST make immigration work for ordinary British people. That is why I welcome what Ministers are doing, to get to grips with Labour's chaos. Strong action is now being taken to sort out the mess across the whole immigration system.

This Conservative-led Government is:

• Capping economic migration from parts of Europe, and the rest of the world. 
• Reforming student visas.
• Shutting bogus colleges. 
• Bringing in a Border Police Force.
• Introducing a tough English Language test.

In time, this action will reduce net immigration down to the lower levels of the 1990s, and also help to confront the horror of forced marriage.

This is essential. But we must do more than that. Immigration must also be positive: about attracting the small number of top-class people who will benefit Britain, people who help boost growth and jobs in towns like Harlow. We need top of the range professionals, surgeons, investors, footballers, technical specialists, entrepreneurs and exceptional artists and scientists. That is the kind of immigration system that I want to see.

by Robert Halfon MP - Working Hard for Harlow.

In praise of the Police

It may not be fashionable to say so, but I have full praise for the Police in their actions over the past few days. They have been criticised in the early stages of the riots for 'hanging back', but at that time, the extent of the rioting was not yet clear. Moreover, if they had gone in heavy-handed from the beginning - and people had been injured or killed - you can imagine the political uproar there would have been.

Night after night on our TV, we have witnessed astonishing acts of bravery by the police - much of it under reported. Without their actions, these terrible events could have been even worse. Facing down a baying mob requires extraordinary courage.

Whatever has gone wrong with policing mostly is down to our political masters - of whatever persuasion. Over the years, governments have imposed bureaucracy, meaning less time for police to be out on the beat. Judges too - gold-plating 'human rights'. laws, have made it harder to detain, jail criminals and let them out early on puny sentences.

This does not mean I think everything the police does is perfect, nor that there shouldn't be some reforms. Of course mistakes have been made. I support elected police commissioners to improve accountability with the public. There also needs to be some major efficiency gains, as with any large public sector organisation, waste needs to be cut. Inevitably too, there are major difficulties over the negotiations on pensions.

In the Commons I have also campaigned - in a number of speeches - for a Police Reserve Force made up of the Special Constabulary, and for Specials to be given Council Tax rebates.

But, we should be thanking our police forces for what they have done. It is a good thing that for the most part, we have gun-less police, who have stood up against the most vicious of thugs, determined to bring anarchy to the UK.

PS. There is a good article here on improvements to policing. 


Rob Halfon
halfon4harlow@roberthalfon.com

Changing Crime Statistics: The difference between crimes reported and crimes discovered

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill represents a real opportunity to change the way we collate crime statistics. 

At present, there is huge bureaucratic and political pressure to say: “Crime is coming down.” Of course this is natural. Everyone wants to believe that things are getting better. The problem with this, is that it translates into an immense personal pressure on individual police officers, not to record crime.

We literally have a system that encourages them to sit at their desks.  Because police go out on the streets, and find criminals, their statistics look worse and worse.

One solution - as proposed by the Chief Constable of Essex (Mr Barker-McCardle) -  is to record two kinds of statistics:

Similar to the Australian system, a distinction is made between crimes that have been reported by the public, and crimes that have been discovered by the Police.

The idea is that instead of one single box for recording crime, where everything gets jumbled and mixed in together, there are two boxes instead:

• In the first box, we would measure crime reported by the public. Police Officers and PCSOs would be encouraged to reduce these crimes.

• In the second box, we would measure crime proactively discovered by the Police. If the number of these crimes increased, we would not worry unduly. Because it would mean that the Police are doing their job --- going out, and patrolling the streets, and uncovering the hidden thugs and criminals who are disrupting our neighbourhoods.

As we look at reform, we should consider how to free our Police Officers from the immense political pressure to always say that crime statistics are coming down.

I welcome openess in public information, such as Crime Mapping, which the Government is pushing for - but I hope also that the Home Office will consider the Australian system of recording crime.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Special Constables : How to Transform our Police

For many years, I have believed that Special Constables could be transformed into a Territorial Army-type Reserve Force.

This would transform local policing, and create a genuine community force. It would cut costs too.

I raised it again yesterday in the House of Commons. You can read my speech HERE or watch the video below:

Here is what Nick Herbert, the Minister for Police, said in reply:

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Justice at last

I was pleased to heart that the Lord Chief Justice freed Mr Munir Hussain from prison. This man was the Father who was imprisoned for fighting and attacking an armed robber who was in his home - threatening his wife and children with a knife

Astonishingly, Mr Hussain was imprisoned for over use of force against the man (who had a string of previous convictions). Yesterday, he was freed on appeal, with the Judge stating that Mr Hussain had been "provoked beyond endurance".

Far too long, in many cases like this, it seems that the Justice system has given more rights to the criminal over the victim. Now, the Lord Chief Justice has redressed the balance.

I am glad that Conservative Policy, as announced recently by Conservative Home Affairs Spokesman Chris Grayling MP, has indicated that those who defend themselves in their homes against criminals will be less liable for prosecution.

P.S The criminal who attacked Mr Hussain and his family remains free.

Stopped and Searched by Section 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (2000)

Driving down the Embankment mid morning, a few days ago, I looked at some police ahead in a coned area . One Police Officer, a hundred yards away from the cones saw me in my car and spoke to his walkie-talkie. Hey-ho, I thought to myself, what's up?

My answer came quickly, as minutes later I was flagged down by another Policeman who indicated to me to stop my car, which, being a law abiding citizen, I duly did. I did wonder what was going on. There was nothing defective with my car, no offence I had committed.
The Police Officer, incredibly courteous, explained that he had stopped me under Section 44 of the 2000 Prevention of Terrorism Act. This meant that anyone, at any time, even if no offence was being committed could be stopped by the Police. The Act states:

"Under Section 44 officers may search any pedestrian or vehicle for evidence related to terrorism. They do not need to show reasonable cause to stop and search you".

I wondered what evidence they had?

I was asked to get outside the car - although to be fair, they then allowed me to stay in it - whilst my car was thoroughly searched by officers with rubber gloves and licence details checked. I also had to give them a form of identification. Finding nothing of concern , I and my car were cleared of any wrong-doing, I was sent on my way with a friendly cheerio.

Despite the politeness of the Police concerned, I have to say that I felt my liberties as a free citizen were unfairly infringed upon - a sense (albeit a small one) of grievance against the 'authorities'.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act (2000) gives the State huge power against ordinary citizens going about their business, and there is very little redress. I had committed no offence, yet my privacy and my personal property (my car), were seen as public properties of the Government.

The logical extension of this is enormous. Can you imagine what will happen, if Labour gets it way and we are all forced to have ID cards. Our personal freedom as private citizens will be hugely diminished as the State will be able to stop us at will, asking us "for our papers".

Of course, there will be those who say that all this is necessary to fight terrorism. I don't doubt that tough measures are needed. But I would like to know how far random stopping of motorists has really diminished the terrorist threat to the UK. Surely there must be better modes of surveillance?

If we believe in liberal democracy, we have to hold out strongly for its values too. We weaken these values at great cost. Of course there is a balance between liberty and security and state intervention. But are we tipping this balance too far in one direction?

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Where's the Police?

I left Roydon Parish Council meeting this evening feeling somewhat angry. It wasn't because of anything the Councillors had done. In fact they all care deeply about Roydon Village. I was angry because I heard that the picturesque Roydon Playing Fields had been vandalised yet again. The latest act was the destruction of new rubbish bins, which cost £100 each. Despite, regular updates to the Police by local Councillors, and good knowledge of which teenagers are responsible, nothing is done. Roydon has no Community Support Officer at present and one well-meaning and hard working beat officer who covers a number of villages and is seriously overstretched.

What amazes me about the lack of Police action, is that about 18 months ago, the Essex Chief Constable came to a Parish Council meeting, accompanied by a host of local senior Police Officers. The Officers present pledged to introduce new style neighbourhood policing, with police on the beat. They said that Roydon would be well looked after by beat Policemen and Community Support Officers. As one Councillor remarked, since that meeting, the situation has got even worse, and there are less police in Roydon than ever before. I intend to write to the New Acting Chief Constable of Essex about the Playing Field problem, once I have amassed evidence from fellow Parish Councillors.

I know that most individual Police Officers are incredibly hard working and committed. Many do a wonderful job. But there is need to assuage sceptical Roydon residents that promises made, are more than hot air. There could be no better way than to demonstrate their commitment to Roydon, by dealing with these yobs once and for all and stop them from wrecking a beautiful part of the village.

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.

Power to the People!

Time and time again local people contact me worried about the Government's plans to concrete over our green belt with thousands of extra houses.

That is why it is good news that David Cameron has announced today that the Government's housing targets will be scrapped, alongside unelected and costly Regional Assemblies like the one in the East of England (EERA).

The Conservative view is that local people should decide where extra housing goes, not faceless bureaucrats or Gordon Brown.

They have also said they will ensure that more power is given to local councils and voters will be able to call a local referendum against excessive Council Tax rises.

We will also be able to elect our own Police Commissioner so we can have some say on policing in our district.

I think that this is good news. We need more local democracy not less. Everyone has had enough of bossy government telling us what to do. Its time to put we the people back in charge of our own affairs!

For more information, please see HERE.


Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.