By Gabriel Princewill-
A new campaign group designed to “champion the fight against crime and disorder on behalf of the public” was launched on Wednesday.
Launched by the Public Safety Foundation which promises to establish a new “national mission” to make the UK the safest place to live, work and raise a family, the body has a formidable team with an impressive resume.
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Included in its revered team is Chris Donaldson- a veteran of 30 years in the force- and James Treadwell, Professor of Criminology at Staffordshire University, and also member of the advisory council. Also present is former New York Police Department and Los Angeles Police Department Commissioner, Bill Bratton.
Bratton said of the campaign; “The Public Safety Foundation’s focus on supporting the police to fight crime and disorder is much-needed in these challenging times.”
It promises to “champion the fight against crime and disorder, speaking up for the law-abiding majority and those who work on the front line fighting crime”.
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Also on the team is former Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Helen Newlove, whose husband Gary was murdered in 2007, and Kevin Hurley, the former independent PCC for Surrey between 2012 and 2016 and an ex-detective chief superintendent, are also on the advisory council.
Proactive
Under the new campaign, coinciding with the addition of 20,000 new police recruits, officers are expected take a more proactive approach to tackling crime. This will involve increased patrols, stop and search operations, and targeted intelligence-led policing to identify and apprehend criminals.
The campaign is also expected to focus on community engagement, with police officers working closely with local residents and community groups to identify and address the specific concerns and issues in each area. This will help to build trust and confidence between the police and local communities, and ensure that the police are better able to respond to the needs and concerns of the people they serve.
The new campaign has been welcomed by many people, who are concerned about the rising levels of crime in the UK. Most Brits acknowledge the fact tougher measures are needed to deter criminals and make the streets safer for everyone, more so in light of rising crime numbers in Britain.
The move is a statement from the police that they are committed to taking a tough stance on crime and making the UK a safer place to live. The efficacy of its mission will require working closely with local communities and taking a more proactive approach to tackling crime.
The new police campaign represents an important step forward in the fight against crime in the UK. It demonstrates that the police are committed to working together with local communities and taking a tough stance on crime in order to create a safer and more secure society for everyone.
Advisory Council
The Public Safety Foundation was founded by Rory Geoghegan,-(pictured)a former police officer and No 10 Special Adviser- and also supported by an advisory council including former police officers, a retired Old Bailey judge, a former Victims’ Commissioner, a former police and crime commissioner (PCC), and a leading criminologist.
Geoghegan also most recently served as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Justice and Home Affairs in the No10 Policy Unit.
A statement from the Foundation read: “The Public Safety Foundation plans to help reboot the relationship between the public and the police, and to help focus politicians, public institutions and wider society on fighting crime and disorder.”
Mr Geoghegan, who most recently served as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Justice and Home Affairs in the No10 Policy Unit, said: “As a whole country, we must do much better to build on some of our strongest traditions, including a police force that fights crime and disorder, keeps us safe, and can retain the confidence of the law-abiding public.
“The foundation will champion the fight against crime and disorder on behalf of the public, including the many frustrated and often forgotten crime-fighters who work so hard to keep us safe.
“Our future plans include setting out the key measures necessary to ensure the UK will be the safest place to live, work, and raise a family.”
His Honour Timothy Pontius, a senior Old Bailey Judge who retired in 2016, and a member of the advisory council, said: “The opportunity to help advise and support a new organisation determined to help make the UK the safest place to live, work and raise a family is one that I eagerly accepted.
“From my own substantial experience over decades, crime exacts a tremendous cost on society and often a disproportionate one on the poorest and the young.
“This is especially true for knife crime where we continue to see far too many knife attacks – both fatal and non-fatal – with the victims and perpetrators very often teenagers.
“We should all support a refocusing of our efforts as a country to drive down crime and ensure justice is done.”
Chris Donaldson, a member of the foundation’s advisory council, and himself a 30-year veteran of policing with experience as a firearms and public order commander, said: “As black man, I served the public as a police officer for 30 years. I have seen the reality of policing and crime in modern Britain. The Public Safety Foundation is the critical friend that policing has desperately needed for decades.
“The foundation will be unafraid to challenge policing to do better, while retaining a fundamental appreciation for the men and women in policing and the wider justice system who step up each day to fight crime and protect the public.”
James Treadwell said; “The foundation is aligned with the best of criminology. It recognises that police and prisons can and do cut crime, and that the real victims are not those convicted of crimes, but those who are preyed upon by criminals.”
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