ENSURING that our streets are safe for everyone is a top concern for local people in South East Cornwall. We want to feel confident when out and about and for our high street businesses to be able to operate without fear of shoplifters.

I’ve been listening to people’s concerns about crime, whether that’s while I’ve been out with our brilliant local police teams or speaking with residents directly. South East Cornwall has many different towns, villages, and hamlets and I believe that the unique needs of our communities need to be recognised and considered.

Following lots of correspondence with local residents, I’ve been working with Torpoint Town Council to secure funding for CCTV for the flats at Harvey Street. The town council has put a lot of work in to secure funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner, Cornwall Housing and its own funds. Their commendable efforts mean that there will be no costs passed on to tenants or leaseholders. It’s been great to work with them to address local people’s concerns about safety. Listening to residents and taking action to improve our local area is what being an elected representative is all about.

There are now 3,000 more neighbourhood police officers on Britain’s streets since the Labour government entered office. Labour is investing in our police so that they have the resources they need to keep our communities safe. As part of the landmark Crime and Policing Act, I am pleased that the government is conducting the biggest shake-up in decades, tackling local crime in areas like South East Cornwall.

Action is being taken to ban repeat offenders from town centres, punish perpetrators properly by ending the outdated treatment of theft under £200, and make assaulting a retail worker a bespoke offence. I am serious about tackling crime, to ensure that our high streets are thriving and so that local people feel safer in their communities.

The government has also been working with the Competition and Markets Authority to ensure that retailers are acting responsibly. We are looking at behaviour during disruptive events, like the conflict in Iran, so that companies do not exploit people to make extra profit on essentials such as petrol. Most retailers have acted appropriately, but it appears that a few have not, and we will hold them to account.

Our online world is becoming increasingly dangerous too. I’m working with organisations such as the Center for Countering Digital Hate to ensure that our young people are protected online and I support the new, crucial strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.

On local issues, I am supporting people to ensure that they feel safe in their communities. I’m also working with the government on national support to change the way we view crime, supporting our high streets and ensuring that there are enough police officers in place to respond here at home. I will be working with our communities to ensure that these policies work for us here in South East Cornwall.