The only way to get a safer society is to give police officers backup

UNVEILING the Government’s new “Beating Crime Plan”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged “less crime, fewer victims and a safer ­society”. An admirable aim, I’m sure you will agree.

League tables for emergency calls, more use of electronic tags for burglars, robbers and thieves, and expanded use of stop and search were some of the headline-grabbing measures.

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Well, I don’t do politics. But I do know that what will ultimately count is whether these policies — welcome as they are — will actually make a difference to the people who are most likely to be the ­victims of crime.

Since the year dot, governments of all hues have queued up to vow to be “tough on crime”.

Yet I’ve got enough experience as a criminal barrister to know it doesn’t ­usually make a huge amount of difference.

So if this new tranche of measures are to actually do any good, the police will need the backing of the Government to make a real and determined show of force, to be embedded within communities and to stop crime before it happens.

First, the good news.

In most parts of the country, crime is actually falling — down eight per cent last year. But sadly, within certain communities — those most afflicted with poverty and socio-economic disadvantage — crime has gone up, and it’s getting worse.

GANG CULTURE

Burglaries and knife crime are symptoms of the gang culture and lawlessness, which is thriving in some locations.

Sun readers are smart enough to know that “toughness” is not the only answer. And indeed, there are no easy solutions.

But there is a simple starting point — and that is our policing.

At the end of the day, whatever your crime strategy, it needs to be delivered by local police — and they can only do this with proper backing and respect.

The vast majority of our police officers are hard-working, brave and dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable. They are more diverse than ever — this matters, because it means they very literally ­represent the people they serve — they are more committed than ever to their communities. They want to be part of the solution.

But it shouldn’t be up to people living in leafy suburbs, who are the least likely to be the victims of crime, to decide how policing should be done.

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That has to come from the communities where crime is happening, and yes, where criminals come from.

We need to enable the powerless to have a real and meaningful voice.

If those ­communities demand stop and search, because knife crime is terrorising their neighbourhood and putting their children in hospital, then why should a comfortably-off, privileged liberal argue that this is discriminatory?

If there is violence being wreaked by gangs, muggings further impoverishing and terrifying people who are already struggling, and if people no longer feel safe in their homes at night, then it is not enough to put a few bobbies on the beat.

I was mugged earlier this year and felt all the fury, helplessness and distress that comes with being a victim of crime.

But I am unbelievably privileged — my phone was insured and could be easily replaced.

For me, being mugged was an inconvenience, but for many it can be a financial and emotional catastrophe.

Mugging is often seen as a common and unsolvable crime, so little is done. But it is a symptom of wider law- lessness on our streets.

Until the police can get a grip on this small part of organised gang activity, they have no chance of eliminating the wider problems.

Obviously, this won’t happen until respect for our police returns. Now, I know full well the police aren’t perfect.

They have failed and will fail again, many times. Their countless failures exist for all to see.

But we rarely hear of the thousands of instances where they succeed — acting on behalf of victims, solving crimes and ­protecting their communities.

AMAZING WORK

Recently I spoke to newly recruited police officers at Islington police station, near where I live in London.

I was greeted by a room full of young female officers, many of them women of colour, who spoke movingly of wanting to join the police service to be part of a new conversation and solve the problems within their own communities.

We have the opportunity to capitalise on the passion of officers like them, and ­create an effective police force fit for our modern society. But we can’t talk about crime without also talking about the causes of crime (and yes, I have said I hate slogans but bear with me).

When I tell people about some of the cases I have defended as a criminal ­barrister, they will often say that we should lock up criminals and throw away the key.

Now, I am no bleeding heart. Violent criminals should go to prison, full stop. But after decades of practising law, I know that in the vast majority of cases criminals have experienced poverty, or learning disabilities, or lack of opportunities, or a dearth of role models, or all of the above.

There are people doing amazing work to change this but they need more support from government.

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So I applaud Boris Johnson’s aims, and I hope that everyone — no matter their ­circumstances — will get to experience the “safer society” he wants.

But we’re not going to get there until we champion our police, bolster their ranks with the promised extra 20,000 officers and delight in the work that they do.