Keeping our streets safe - drug and alcohol clampdown

The government has outlined plans to put the community at the heart of policing reforms and licensing decisions

Home secretary Theresa May has unveiled plans to end the era of 'top-down bureaucracy' and make police more accountable for their actions.

The new Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill promises to rebalance the Licensing Act to give us, the public, greater influence over policies to tackle crime and disorder.

The home secretary said: ‘These new measures will place the public back at the heart of our drive to cut crime, giving them a say in how their local are is policed by electing a Police and Crime Commissioner, and strengthening the powers that police and councils need to tackle crime and disorder at a local level.’

The bill also delivers on the government’s commitment to ban potentially harmful legal highs on a temporary basis for 12 months.

The government plan to introduce a public election of new police and crime commissioners from May 2012. This is supposed to give communities and local authorities greater control over alcohol licensing and a stronger local influence on licensing decisions.

May added: ‘I am determined to give the public, the police and councils the powers they need to deal with the issues that blight too many of our communities.’

A Home Office spokesperson told Marie Claire: ‘These proposals will give people a say in how their local area is policed and place them at the heart of local licensing decisions. It gives people the power to make their pub and local high street a place they want to visit."

She added, ‘It's time that local communities are put in charge and allowed to reclaim our high streets for sensible law-abiding drinkers.’

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