Jacqui Smith says she would feel unsafe walking the streets of London at night. The Tories and Lib Dems say it's "an astonishing admission". Haven't there always been areas of the UK that you as a woman would avoid late at night though?
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No they are not safe.
The Police should carry guns, if they did criminals would fear the police and would think twice before comitting violent crime.
Victoria,
This debate is very interesting but I cannot let it pass without commenting about a current story line in Eastenders where a young character is seen being given a knife and joining in with the nasty harassment of an elderly woman including breaking into and ransacking her home.
At a time when people are concerned about crime and anti-social behaviour Eastenders could be accused of "normalising", "gloryfying", "encouraging", "highlighting" such behaviour.
Like it or not many members of the public believe what is happening in such programmes and it is particularly insensitive to show it just at the time when 3 youths were imprisoned for the murder of a man who intervened to try to stop similar behaviour.
I was really disappointed with today’s phone in. The figures show more police and crime is down, but your callers don’t believe this. That’s their right, but surely, the only debate that can then be had is on the nature of statistics (or truth, if you want to get philosophical)? What we got, of course, was anecdote and surprise, surprise, those of us who feel safer didn’t call in because there‘s not a lot else to say beyond: ‘I feel safe‘. There was no debate.
I listened to 15 minutes of callers’ incredulity (at the stats) and negative anecdotes before I changed channels (Start the Week are doing the nature of truth next week!).
All today’s phone in did was reinforce the fear and powerlessness many people feel, this is not public service broadcasting.
If you ask people the question: ‘Do you feel frightened?’ they say ‘Yes’. if you ask: ‘Are taxes too high?’ they say ‘Yes’. If you ask: ‘Are people more wealthy, living longer and enjoying more leisure time?’ They’ll say ‘What was that about taxes?’ This is where the real skill in your job comes in, you need to ask better questions in better ways and have some proper guests in who are more effective at challenging the perceived wisdom.
If a government minister feels uncomfortable with walking the streets why doesn't she implement random checking of people to see if they are carrying weapons. They seem willing to randomly check drivers for alcohol.
I agree that crime has always been a problem but today our youth are de-sensitised and have less fear than in my 70's youth culture. I blame films and the home video. Fortunately we did not have horror videos and I think parents need to look at their own morals before blaming todays youth. I did not allow my children to watch blood thirsty films only to find out later they watched them at other peoples houses. Mostly the films were bought for my childrens friends by their parents - who either had no concern of my rules or just thought I was in the wrong and its only a film. Either way they overruled me until I found this was happening. Crime might not have increased but the methods of violence and lack of fear of the consequences certainly has!
yet again i have listened to victoria, and media in general, along with police, courts, politicians et al, skirt all around the answer to the current breakdown of law and order.
helen newlove told all, but again nobody heard or really listended.
she said until government puts back the DETERENTS the yobs will continue, content in the knowledge that they are untouchable.
underage drink/drug misuse, lack of visible policing, bad/non existent parenting, boredom; all play a part, but my fathers generation in the 1920/30s, REALLY had nothing, compared to todays kids, but did not behave in this way.
my generation in1950/60s also would not dare behave so badly, because we had the DETERENTSof capital punishment, birching, the cane/slipper in schools, stricter discipline, from parents and our peers in general.
in my opinion and it seems the vast, normally silent majority, that until we reintroduce some of these zero tolerence measures, as they did in new york, where it worked, we will never win back the streets.
finally, will you sack stephen nolan and richard bacon, who are self obssesed, arrogant prats.
or at least get rod sharp/dalton adebayor or your good self to give them some tuition!!!!!!!