Yvette Cooper MP: Safety in our town centres is crucial

Yvette Cooper MP writes: That’s not fair on communities – that’s why we need neighbourhood police back, with stronger powers to crack down on antisocial behaviour and keep streets safe.

Here in our towns and across the Wakefield District we’ve seen the same thing happen. Neighbourhood police were heavily cut under the Tories and so too were their powers to tackle antisocial behaviour and abuse.

The previous government also introduced a £200 rule which meant that too often shoplifting worth less than that doesn’t get investigated at all – even though it is often the same organised gangs coming back time and again. That’s not good enough, it’s time for change.

We know that extra neighbourhood police patrols and targeted work can make a difference. After local councillors, local traders and I all raised with West Yorkshire Police the spate of problems with antisocial behaviour in Castleford town centre this summer, the targeted action they took against offenders had an impact.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin is also working for safer streets – and in Pontefract town centre we have a Safe Space set up at the town hall on Friday and Saturday nights on the corner of Gillygate and Market Place, for people to drop by and get help or support – maybe if they have become separated from friends or don’t feel safe, or even if they have just run out of charge on their phone and can’t get safely home.

Local businesses and community buildings in Castleford and Pontefract town centres have been getting involved too – in the police and council’s Safe Zones initiative. From Liquorice Bush and The Beastfair Vaults to libraries and Queen's Mill, they encourage people to approach their staff for support like the Safe Space. They also have stickers in their windows to proudly advertise their involvement.

Our communities come together so often to help one another, and I know we are all grateful to these organisations for their commitment to helping vulnerable people.

But I’m determined to make sure that police across the country have more powers to tackle town centre crime and antisocial behaviour.

That’s why I’ve been working nationally as Home Secretary to draw up new powers to ban repeat offenders from town centres, scrap the ridiculous Tory £200 rule on shoplifting cases, and strengthen the law against assaults on shopworkers.

And most important of all, we need to see an increase in neighbourhood police. Having more local police and PCSOs who know the local area and community is the basic building block for tackling crime.

After years of damage to neighbourhood policing and the criminal justice, we know it will take time to turn things round. But for the sake of our town centres, our local economy and local communities, we need everyone working together at local and national level to keep communities safe.