By Adam Thompson MP
As the MP for Erewash, I hear from constituents every day about how crime – especially antisocial behaviour – is impacting their lives. From the town centres of Ilkeston and Long Eaton to villages like Draycott and estates like Cotmanhay, many residents no longer feel safe in their own communities. This is unacceptable.
That’s why I’m proud to support the Government’s new Crime & Policing Bill, which aims to make our streets safer and ensure that no one in Erewash has to live in fear of crime.
For too long, so-called “low-level” crimes like shoplifting, antisocial behaviour, and even burglary, have been treated as unimportant. Under the previous government, austerity measures gutted our local police forces, leaving communities without the resources to properly tackle these offences. Worse still, shoplifting was effectively decriminalised when new guidelines suggested that thefts under £200 wouldn’t be pursued.
This policy may not have hurt large supermarkets, but it hit our small businesses hard. Independent shops in our town centres were left struggling to cope with thieves who acted without fear of consequences. How can we expect local businesses to grow or our high streets to thrive when shoplifters are given a free pass?
The new bill repeals this thieves’ charter. This is a crucial step forward for local business owners and the hard-working, law-abiding people of Erewash. It sends a clear message: crime will no longer be ignored.
Knife crime is another issue that I know deeply concerns so many people in our communities. In the past decade, knife crime in Derbyshire has more than doubled.
The bill creates a new offence of possessing a knife with intent to harm and gives police stronger powers to seize and destroy knives, even those found on private property. This is a vital measure that will help tackle the scourge of knife crime and prevent future tragedies.
Another area where action is desperately needed is violence against women and girls. In 2024, Derbyshire recorded 13,000 stalking and harassment offences – the highest figure in the East Midlands – and over 3,400 sexual offences. These aren’t just statistics – they represent thousands of real women, living here locally.
The government’s goal to halve violence against women and girls within a decade is ambitious but essential. The measures in this bill will give police the tools they need to protect women and hold offenders accountable.
Fixing our country is about growing the economy and rebuilding public services – it’s also about restoring order and respect in our communities. Crime must be punished, and the police must have the powers and funding they need to enforce the law.
If we can take back our streets, tackle antisocial behaviour, and support victims, we can rebuild trust and pride in our communities. Together, we can fix broken Britain.
