First draft of a section of Labour’s Manifesto for London.
The challenge
Londoners deserve to live in a safe and healthy city. But for too many Londoners, crime still blights their communities and ill health still affects some sections of the population more than others.
While crime has been falling for over two decades, there are worrying signs of that certain crimes are on the rise. In particular, data shows that sexual violence and knife crime are increasing. Falling budgets are biting into the number of police on our city’s streets, and there is a very real risk that community policing may disappear altogether. Some communities are still lacking in confidence in the police, and there is still a worrying under-representation of BAME officers in the Met.
Victims of crime are still too often ignored or treated as an afterthought. Without confidence in our justice system, victims and witnesses won’t come forward and report crimes, and perpetrators will be free to walk the streets.
London is blighted by some dramatic health inequalities that shame a developed country. Across the city, there are wide variations in life expectancy, incidences of disease and in obesity. Too many Londoners are dying prematurely as a consequence of our polluted air – a scandal which cannot be allowed to continue.
Sadiq’s plan
Sadiq wants to build a London in which all its citizens feel safe and live long and healthy lives. He will transform the city’s police force so it looks more like the communities it serves, and in an era when the Met is facing devastating cuts, fight for more resources to prevent and tackle crime
Public health will be a high priority, with action to improve London’s air quality and challenge childhood obesity, alongside a focus on mental health.
- Put victims first: Sadiq wants to build a London in which all its citizens feel safe and live long and healthy lives. He will transform the city’s police force so it looks more like the communities it serves, and in an era when the Met is facing devastating cuts, fight for more resources to prevent and tackle crime
- Building community confidence in our police force: Sadiq will reinvigorate plans to create a more diverse Metropolitan Police force so that London’s police look and sound like the communities they are employed to serve. He will ensure the use of stop and search is intelligence led, and not targeted or overused in a way that undermines communitypolice relations.
- Tackling childhood obesity and ill health: Sadiq will use planning powers to restrict the growth of fast food outlets near schools and colleges, and promote physical activity and access to nature for all young people to help tackle childhood obesity, while working to tackle childhood hunger and malnutrition.
- Cleaning our air: Sadiq will promote clean energy schemes, make our public transport network greener, make cycling safer and create more green spaces in order to reduce the damaging effects of filthy air on Londoners.
- Taking public health seriously: In addition to prioritising cleaner air and tackling childhood obesity, Sadiq will work with health services and professionals across London to ensure a coordinated and proactive approach to prevention. He will work to promote parity of esteem between mental and physical health and ensure that all people, especially young people have access to mental health information, advice and support in the schools and communities.
Questions for consultation
- How can we deal with the major challenges facing community policing in a time of tough public finances?
- What new ideas and strategies might be employed to help better detect and fight crime?
- How can we build a Metropolitan Police force that is representative of London, and ensure that all of our communities have confidence in the force?
- What else should we be doing to improve the way victims and witnesses in London are treated?
- What are the key public health challenges for London and how should we address them?
- What can the Mayor do to support and improve London’s emergency services?
- What other key challenges and priorities exist in this area?
The consultation closes at 6pm on 27 November 2015. Respond online