Boris Johnson has pledged to give police tougher stop and search powers, deploy tougher sentences and will invest more money into prisons in a bid to reduce violent crime.
In an article written for The Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister said, “We need to come down hard on crime. That means coming down hard on criminals”.
Boris’ new plans include giving all police forces in England and Wales the power to stop and search an individual at any time. For the first time, police officers will not need “reasonable grounds for suspicion” to justify this. Inspector ranking officers and above will now be able to initiate searches without first seeking approval from a senior officer.
Boris will also use £2.5 billion in funds to create 10,000 new prison places and will recruit 20,000 more police officers during the next three years.
On the controversial new plans, Boris also said, “I want the criminals to be afraid – not the public. Left-wing criminologists will object. The people who back this intervention most fervently are often the parents of the kids who are so tragically foolish as to go out on the streets equipped with a knife – endangering not only the lives of others but their own”.
The new Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party will also call for tougher sentences for those convicted of sexual offences. He wrote, “When the police catch a violent criminal, it is vital they get the sentence they deserve. At present there are too many serious violent or sexual offenders who are coming out of prison long before they should”.
Boris added, “In the last five years, we have seen literally hundreds of convicted rapists who have come out of prison commit another sexual offence. This cannot go on. I am afraid that as a society we have no choice but to insist on tougher sentencing laws for serious sexual and violent offenders”.
As we keep you updated with this story, click here for more current affairs coverage.