Read my latest news and views…
Dragon legend in modern dress
In praise of England: Mr Churchill’s St George’s Day Banquet Speech 1933
Increasing police powers to issue closure notices
I have long been working on a change in the law to increase police powers to issue closure notices. Closure notices are an important tool in disrupting criminal activity on our high streets, but current powers do not go far enough.
Keeping phones out of the classroom
Mobile phones during the school day they distract pupils, disrupt classes, can lead to poor discipline and lower attainment.
Changing the law to tackle high street criminals
I have written before about the need to tackle criminal businesses that operation in plain sight on our high streets. There's no point complaining about these problems without having a plan to tackle it! That is why I have been calling for a change in the law to help the police to close down these businesses more swiftly and for longer.
Local Work on Youth Knife Crime to be Replicated Nationally
Operation Deter Youth is a pioneering programme that sees rapid intervention from Youth Justice Services for young people under the age of 18 arrested for knife-possession or knife-enabled offences in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes, spearheaded by Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber.
Now the Home Office has announced a new initiative that will see young people caught carrying knives given targeted support to steer them away from further offending.
53 more neighbourhood police officers planned despite Government under-funding
Last month, the Government announced the police funding settlement which for Thames Valley Police was £9m less than expected. Now the Home Office made clear that they would only fund around 40% of the cost of new officers.