According to the Labour Party website the Labour Party have achieved the following in their time in power:

Why Labour?

Britain is safer with Labour. We are taking the tough and necessary measures to combat crime and anti-social behaviour. Our no-nonsense approach is bringing crime down. Since 1997, overall crime – including violent crime – has fallen by almost 40 per cent and you are now less likely to be a victim of crime than at any time in the last 25 years. We have a stronger police service, with police numbers at a historic high – over 14,000 more police officers than in 1997, alongside nearly 16,000 Police Community Support Officers.

Labour’s beliefs are consistent – tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. But the nature of communities is changing, and this means the nature of crime and the causes of crime are changing too. Only Labour has the policies to address these new challenges building on what we have achieved over the past decade and tackling them head on. We are giving police and communities new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour; investing in neighbourhood policing; taking measures to combat terrorism; and delivering a fairer and better-balanced criminal justice system – appropriately punishing criminals and offering support to their victims.

Key Achievements

* Since 1997 overall crime is down 39 per cent (over 6 million fewer crimes); domestic burglary is down 55 per cent; vehicle-related crime is down 57 per cent; violent crime is down 39 per cent.
* Police numbers up by more than 14,000 since 1997, alongside nearly 16,000 Community Support Officers. Neighbourhood policing is now rolled out nationally – with more than 3,600 Neighbourhood Policing Teams working to improve public satisfaction and confidence by working with local people.
* The risk of becoming a victim of crime is at historically low levels, down from its peak in 1995.
* During the past decade nearly 25,000 more prison places have been provided; and more offenders are being brought to justice – 70 per cent more violent and dangerous criminals are now locked up and for longer.
* Last year over 40,000 offenders entered education, training or employment; we have almost trebled spending on offender learning since 2001; and we have increased investment in drug treatment in prisons by over 1,000 per cent since 1996/7.

New Labour, your Britain

* Tackling violent crime, including: a targeted campaign against knife crime and tougher sentences for those caught with a knife; new controls on deactivated firearms; portable weapon scanners for the police; targeted action to tackle gang crime; and education to turn young people away from crime.
* Time saving technology and cuts in police red tape so that police can spend more time on the street; a new policing pledge and online crime maps to give local people more information and a bigger say in how their neighbourhood is policed.
* Reforming the justice system so that it works for the public; punishes the guilty; offers a realistic prospect of rehabilitation for the contrite; and places the interests of victims at its heart.
* Continuing to introduce tough and effective sentences for the guilty alongside action to tackle re-offending, focussing on education and work.
* We are fully committed to providing a net further 15,000 prison places by 2014 through the largest ever prison-building programme (7,000 of which will be provided by 2010).
* Tougher and more visible Community Payback schemes so that local communities can see that crime is being tackled in their local area, and justice is being done.
* A new Victims’ Champion to give victims and witnesses a stronger voice in the justice system, protecting their interests and ensuring fair treatment.
* More steps to support people who do the right thing, including a £5m Community Crime Fighters programme to train 3,600 members of the public who are already active in their communities and want to do more to make them safer.

Labour Party Crime and Justice Policy :http://www.labour.org.uk/crime-justice-policy

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on Labour’s Crime and Justice policies in the comments below?