Well done Mr Evennett! It is these issues that stop some of us going out at night, we are SCARED! Going out in the Broadway at nighttime (and daytimes sometimes) is like going into a war zone...So much for the former Prime Minsters, tough on crime rubbish!!

I totally disagree. Police have a finite amount of resources. Surely we should concentrate on the " real crime " such as Rape and Pilage rather than concern ourselves with "soft crime" such as smoking cannabis and fish stalking.

Why don't they do something simple. Maidstone for instance have "stick your gum" boards on lamp posts. Stops it from being put on the floor and the risk of a fine.

kent pete, where in the article does it say that large crimes should not be stopped? There should be zero-tolerance on all types of crime, large and small. It could be done if less resources were put into employing pen-pushers and more into police on the streets.

I am all 'for' Mr Evennett's concerns and actions. Crayford now has CPSO's working as our own Met Police are too busy to attend any problems. They are working so well and have excellent relationships with the younger people of our society but they do not have the powers to arrest and these youngsters know that! We have to have sympathy for our younger people nowadays. Where do they go to where they can enjoy cheap safe activities. The only place they can go out are the streets, and on those streets are off licences that sell Alcohol to young people.
Good luck with keeping our streets safe but find the youngsters somewhere to go and that will make a huge impact on everyones safety and environment

quote

MP urges clampdown on low-level crime.

We live in a free country. However, we are not free to pick and choose which laws to regard and which to disregard. Laws made by Parliament and local laws - bye-laws - are made to be enforced. Neither the police nor the local authority has the absolute right to determine which crimes will be tolerated in their area. If the law cannot be enforced because the police are under resourced, or because the law is a bad law, it is a political matter and should be dealt with by Parliament. Under resourceing of the police leads them to concentrate on serious crime, and this is understandable. However, perpetrators of serious crime learn their disrespect of the law at the lower level. Even cycling on the pavement is a criminal offence, incurring a fine of £500, but many people flout this law; especially children. And the police turn a blind eye.