NCJ Number
209849
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 369-387
Date Published
April 2005
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article reviews and critiques the “New Labour” government’s crime prevention policies and community safety in England and Wales since 1997.
Abstract
Since its election to power in 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s “New Labour” government has enacted a series of institutional and legislative reforms in the area of crime prevention and community safety. The current article focuses on the ways in which this government has sought to reduce crime and public disorder by trying to improve the traditional institutions of criminal justice alongside of newer institutions, such as the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs). The author analyzes developments since the Crime and Disorder Act of 1998 and explores the efforts of the Crime Reduction Strategy, particularly its focus on antisocial behaviors. The argument is put forth that with the government’s focus on its “modernization” strategy and its corresponding focus on performance in the reduction of crime, the New Labour party is wrongfully eschewing the development of a new security governance in the community. Without a focus on the empowerment of citizens in the co-production of community safety there has been a rise in feelings of community insecurity. Moreover, the trend of community insecurity will likely continue and escalate as the government focuses on its police reforms, which mimic its top-down approach to community safety. Finally, while some semblance of hope for citizen participation is offered through the emergent agenda of “civil renewal,” problems remain for the socially disadvantaged who lack the social capital required for this type of civic participation. Notes, references