Liberal Democrat’s Policy on Crime

Liberal Democrats were born out of two other political parties that joined together in 1988. Billed as a party of the people and for the people, the Lib Dems oppose what they believe to be the oppressive anti-terror legislation sponsored by the Labour party.

The policy of detention allowed without trial, a British national identity card, and the use of biometrics in passports are among those things opposed by the Lib Dems. Additionally, they do not agree with the use of phone taps and other methods of monitoring and intercepting communications by any means available.

Liberal Democrats also are not in favour of judges with authority to give life sentences and also oppose mandatory life sentences for serious crimes. One of the popular positions the party has supported is the reduction of crimes for recreational drugs and they believe in the use of marijuana for medical use and support legalizing cannabis if a person grows it for this purpose only.

In 2007 the Lib Dems launched a campaign to cut crime through real action. The plan was labelled as 5 steps to a safer Britain and proposed putting more police officers on the streets and mandatory training and work for prisoners incarcerated.

The plan to reduce crime also called for increased compensation for crime victims that would be paid for from the work done by prisoners and moved to close known establishments where crime takes place regularly. These pubs and clubs would be closed for the betterment of society.

Although the Labour party increased the amount of police officers on the street in 2005 the Lib Dems felt an extra 10,000 officers were in order as were an additional 20,000 community support officers who could be supported by new technology to reduce the bureaucratic requirements police face in the new era.