The role of the Big Society in building safer and stronger communities is the topic of a forum on March 23 in London, at the Guoman Charing Cross Hotel.
According to the British Crime Survey, published 21 October 2010, the overall level of crime recorded by the police in the year ending June 2010 decreased by eight per cent compared with the previous year. However, the Home Secretary, Theresa May stated that “there are still too many offences which ruin lives, whether they are recorded or not, and that means more needs to be done to bring down crime.”
The Home Secretary made clear in her speech to the Police Federation on May 19, 2010 that in the “Big Society we will tackle these root causes of poverty and criminality… In the Big Society … criminals will live in fear of the people – because there is nowhere for them to hide.”
The Big Society launched by the Prime Minister, July 2010, aims to give more power and responsibility to communities. The plans will support local areas so they can take an active part in tackling local problems and contributing to tackling crime by making decisions that affect their communities. With the introduction of directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces will become more accountable to the communities they serve. This will ensure that police forces focus their resources on tackling the crime and anti-social behaviour which matters most to their communities.
Furthermore, many argue that if people can be engaged in their community setting, share responsibility, and design services which address their needs, they are less likely to fall into the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in the long-term.
A number of Big Society initiatives are already underway as part of the Ministry of Justice Rehabilitation Revolution initiative. This is designed to help move the MoJ from a reactive department to a problem-solving department – which intervenes early to prevent later, and more costly, difficulties. For details –
