10 February 2006
Partnership between the public and police is vital in tackling anti-social behaviour, Tony Blair has said.
When launching his "Respect" agenda last month, the PM said he wanted to put law abiding majority back in charge of their local communities.
On a visit to the Safer Partnership conference in Croydon, south London, he addressed delegates from the police, health service, schools and volunteer groups.
"Whatever ideas you have in Downing Street and policy you want to pursue, unless there is a sense of ownership when it comes down to the community level it doesn’t work.
"The essence is partnership. It requires a different type of policing - the police are responding to this change immensely well - and it requires communities to say ‘in part it’s our responsibility and it’s down to us’."
He said that on visits around the UK he had seen the difference that Community Support Officers had made.
"We need to ensure that as well as police having the powers the community feels the police are part of their community, in touch with them, are approachable, can be spoken to, that there is a partnership operating at the level of the street."
The Safer Croydon partnership co-ordinates the response to problems facing the community such as crime, alcohol misuse and anti-social behaviour, hate crime and domestic violence.
Other speakers at the annual event included Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Paddick.
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