22/01/07 - Cllr Tomlinson Agrees Action Not Gimmicks.

Conservatives have called for real action, not gimmicks, after Tony Blair re-announced plans to combat anti-social behaviour with the creation of 40 special "respect zones" - having already ditched plans to put thousands more police on the streets.

Declared Shadow Minister for Police Reform, Nick Herbert: "The Government has cut 4,000 promised Police Community Support Officers from the forces covering these so-called 'Respect Areas'. Communities don't want gimmicks like 'Respect Handbooks' - they want police officers on their streets to take real action against antisocial behaviour."

Towards the end of 2006, a meeting was organised locally by the Conservative Councillors in the Covingham & Nythe ward (Cllr's Glenn Smith, Dale Heenan & Phil Young) to discuss issues surrounding anti social behaviour. Over 100 local residents attended, extremely keen to put across their frustrations that yobs are running free, causing untold problems. The police and anti-social behaviour teams were on hand to address specific issues, and offer advice on the how they could work with local residents to tackle issues of anti-social behaviour.

Swindon Has not been included in the zoning, probably owing to the determination of local residents and police to work together in order to tackle problems and innapropriate behaviour.

Here is a list of the current respect zones:

RESPECT ZONES:

Birmingham City Council Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Blackpool Council Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Bournemouth Borough Council Brighton and Hove City Council Bristol City Council Burnley Borough Council City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Coventry City Council Derby City Council Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Exeter City Council Gloucester City Council Harlow District Council Hastings Borough Council Ipswich Borough Council Kingston upon Hull City Council Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council Leeds City Council Leicester City Council Liverpool City Council Manchester City Council Middlesbrough Council Newcastle City Council Norwich City Council Nottingham City Council Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Plymouth City Council Portsmouth City Council Salford City Council Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sheffield City Council South Tyneside Council Southampton City Council Southend on Sea Borough Council Sunderland City Council Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Justin Tomlinson, "This is yet another example of Labour incompetence. These "respect zones" are nothing more than another gimmick from Labour, we need police on the street, communicating with the public, not Zones dictating where you can go if you have an ASBO. It is time we cut the police's endless political correct red-tape, and pointless zoning initatives and, actually let them get on with policing, armed with real powers to punish both criminals, and cut the disgraceful reoffending rates."