Johnson launches London crime manifesto

Boris Johnson has launched his crime manifesto with a promise to put more police officers on the capital's buses, trains and stations.

 

The Conservative candidate for London mayor said he would make tackling gun and knife crime a key priority, while offering "strong leadership", in contrast to what he described as the "fatalism and defeatism" of Ken Livingstone.

 

Among the specific measures in the manifesto are a plan to trial live CCTV cameras on buses, allocating 50 extra British Transport Police to the worst stations in outer London, and forcing under-18s who abuse their right to free bus travel to earn it back through community service projects.

 

"I want London to maintain its position as the world's number one financial centre. I want us to encourage the brightest and the best to come here.

 

"I want pensioners to feel safe to venture from their homes. I want people to believe it is worth reporting crime. I want the knives and guns off our streets.

 

"I believe that by systematically tackling small crimes, we can drive out more serious crime. I believe that we can change the lives of kids who would otherwise be sucked into a nightmarish culture of violence and criminality," Johnson said.

 

Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, a former Metropolitan Police commander, described Johnson's crime proposals as "clueless".

 

Paddick said: "Live CCTV operates in all our town centres and does little to deter anti-social behaviour or speed up a police response. How will it make any difference on the buses?

 

"The mayor has no control over the budget of the British Transport Police - yet again, Boris Johnson is showing he is clueless on crime and how policing works."