Publicity rebuke for Essex Police
October 28, 2008 12:00 AM
Home Secretary Jackie Smith has given a rebuke to Essex Police for its new policy of refusing to give the local media details of individual criminal acts. She was responding to a question in the House of Commons from Colchester MP Bob Russell who told her of the policy.
Mr Russell, who is a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said that he welcomed the Government's proposals to publish "local crime maps so that the local community knows what is going on" - but he then pointed out that in Essex the Police "have recently regularly refused to provide information about individual crimes to the local media."
He added: "The public do not know what is going on in their neighbourhoods, which contrasts with the Home Secretary's comments about the publication of crime mapping."
Responding, the Home Secretary said: "It is obviously important that local police forces, such as the Essex Police Force, make the appropriate decisions, but I am clear - as is the Association of Chief Police Officers - that we must reach a position whereby, alongside crime mapping, we provide much better information to local people."
Afterwards Mr Russell said: "This was a gentle rebuke to Essex Police. I trust that they will now end their policy of news censorship. We live in a relatively safe town, and recent reports of crime levels falling are to be welcomed, but hiding from the public acts of crime can give a false sense of security - and actually hinder the Police from engaging the public."
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