Blunkett and Blair roll-out new crime plan

The home secretary and the prime minister have launched their strategy for reducing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour.

David Blunkett told MPs on Monday that the government's plans would focus on both prevention and enforcement.

"For decades rising crime and insecurity seemed inevitable," he said. "Since 1997 we have demonstrated that a very different future is possible."

Blunkett announced an immediate £50 million boost for neighbourhood policing.

He pledged that the first tranche of an additional 20,000 community support officers would be recruited from this autumn.

"We will sustain record police numbers," he added

"We will supplement this through the equivalent of 12,000 extra officers on frontline duties by a sustained reduction in bureaucracy."

The criminal justice system is set for a significant revamp under the government's plans.

Blunkett was joined by constitutional affairs secretary Lord Falconer and attorney general Lord Goldsmith in setting out a five year strategic plan for the criminal justice system.

"The plan focuses on how we will bring more criminals to justice, improve the way different agencies work together and give victims and witnesses better services," said Lord Falconer.

Under the reforms, victims and witnesses will have a statutory right to minimum standards of service and police detection rates will be improved to at least 25 per cent.

Fixed penalties will also be extended to a range of new offences such as underage drinking and the mis-use of fireworks.

Blunkett announced an expansion of supervision and surveillance programmes.

New technology such as enhanced tagging and satellite tracking will be used to provide more effective monitoring of offenders.

And 50 areas will pioneer new ways to tackle anti-social behaviour, targeting the worst offenders in the area.

Tougher border controls will help the government track travellers and tackle the terrorism threat.

"Global terrorism and organised crime require a new level of responsiveness," the home secretary said.

Blunkett also announced a doubling of youth inclusion programmes.

"We must invest in young people," he said. "We will provide a route out of inter-generational disadvantage."

Shadow home affairs spokesman Jim Paice said ministers had failed to tackle violent crime, gun crime and anti-social behaviour.

"The truth is, they have run out of ideas," he said.

"A Conservative government would recruit an extra 40,000 police officers to combat street crime and target those who are making others' lives hell.

"That's the kind of quantum leap that is needed. Anything else is merely a headline grabbing initiative adding to all the others we have seen more than enough of recently."

Earlier, Tony Blair had set out the ethos that will inform the new policy on criminal justice.

He said the new plan "marks the end of the 1960s liberal, social consensus on law and order".

"Here, now, today, people have had enough of this part of the 1960s consensus," he said.

"People want rules, order and proper behaviour.