Lib Dems Hit Back at the Herts Tory Police & Crime Commissioner, Who Now Wants to Tell the Courts How to Do Their Job!

In an Open Letter to the Conservative Police & Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, Liberal Democrat Sally Symington has sharply criticised his ambition to heap his own brand of DIY punishment onto criminals who have already been dealt with in the courts. She wrote,

"In re-launching his Police and Crime Plan as a Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan, (Gazette, 30 November), Herts Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd, has opened the door for a populist re-branding and re-shaping of his policies. In a 'Trump-style' claim he asserts: "Those who are responsible for crime should bear the costs, not the law-abiding citizen. Whether it is through seizing criminal assets or paid rehabilitation schemes, I strongly believe that offenders should pay back to victims and communities, putting right the harm they have caused."

Firstly, it is the role of the courts and our judicial system (which is independent of elected representatives) to dispense justice. It is not the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Secondly, it is our society which has failed many involved in criminal activity, not the other way around, and us who owe a debt to those the system is failing. According to government data published in November 2015, 46% of people entering the prison system have literacy skills no higher than those of an 11 year old leaving primary school; this compares with 15% in the adult population generally.

We should be seeking to reduce the inequalities in our society which lead to criminal activity, not heaping further punishment and retribution on those who have already fallen victim themselves to lack of educational opportunities and who have already been through the courts for their crimes.

Kind regards

Sally Symington
Hemel Hempstead Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson"

Local Liberal Democrat County Councillor, Nick Hollinghurst supported her and added,

"Over a decade of gradually falling crime the UK has roughly doubled its prison population - at vast expense to the taxpayer and for no good reason. Prison does not work in the UK. The re-offending rates are far higher than in other countries. The period of punishment is not used to help criminals overcome their educational and behavioural problems, as it is elsewhere. The resource we put into rehabilitating offenders is entirely inadequate. It's no wonder that the discharge from prison for far too many is just a revolving door."

He concluded, "If David Lloyd wants to improve policing in our county he should make very sure that the numbers of police officers and PCSOs are maintained at least at present levels instead of trying to meddle in the operation of our courts."