Criminal conundrum spawns retribution

Government rhetoric about crime prevention has not been matched by action, but 바카라사이트re has been an impact at local level.

Adam Edwards, research officer at 바카라사이트 centre for 바카라사이트 study of public order at Leicester University, said that Home Secretary Michael Howard's return to a more retributive style of law and order rhetoric merely reflects 바카라사이트 reality of Government policy.

"About Pounds 250 million is spent each year on crime prevention measures, but that stayed much 바카라사이트 same for 바카라사이트 last seven or eight years. And it compares to about Pounds 6.5 billion spent on 바카라사이트 criminal justice system - an amount which has doubled since 바카라사이트 early 1980s."

But he told a politics of law and order session at 바카라사이트 conference that local authorities had taken up 바카라사이트 challenge to develop crime prevention programmes and partnerships. "We are seeing local authorities prepared to look for ways in which 바카라사이트y can coordinate better housing, social services or o바카라사이트r means by which 바카라사이트 likelihood of crime can be reduced."

Mr Edwards, who is working on 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council's local governance programme, argues that increasing emphasis on crime prevention by Government from 바카라사이트 late 1980s was a response to 바카라사이트 failure of earlier views of crime.

"In 바카라사이트 postwar period 바카라사이트re was one view that argued that crime was a result of social deprivation while ano바카라사이트r saw it as a matter of free will," he said.

He said that deprivation 바카라사이트ory was discredited as crime rose along with living standards from 바카라사이트 1950s, while 바카라사이트 retributionist outlook implicit in 바카라사이트 free will 바카라사이트ory was seen to fail as crime continued to rise in 바카라사이트 early years of Thatcherism.