IAN HART: Is rise in crime a case of reaping what you sow?

Does that mean that London is a more dangerous place than the Big Apple?

When I visited New York City a few years ago I felt very safe, so these latest figures wouldn’t stop me visiting London.

But on the flip side, is this also a classic, and equally worrying, case of reaping what you sow?

Going back years successive governments, from all political sides, have cut both police funding and money for youth services.

As a result an underfunded police force has become a contradiction in terms, because they are no longer a force. They have lost the respect of sections of the people, are hampered by apparent mountains of paperwork and bogged down by political correctness.

So now police forces across the country, not just in London, are undermanned and underfunded, and find themselves placed in an impossible position.

The same can be said for the neglected generations.

Investment in youth is a major facet of any civilised society, yet the aforementioned governments, through major cuts in funding to youth services and limited employment opportunities, have turned part of our cities into wastelands and ideal breeding grounds for drugs and violent crime.

Aside from the funding cuts, when she was Home Secretary Theresa May was effectively warned by the police federation about the consequences of policing cuts.

Unfortunately those warnings were not heeded and the results are there to all to see.

Is it never too late? Hopefully not.

A strong, efficient police force and investment in our future generations should be prerequisites in this country.

Let’s hope Mrs May and future prime ministers embark on the kind of U-turn we would all like to see.

---

• Benefit from an ongoing discount on your Herald by joining our voucher membership scheme. Once you’ve subscribed we’ll send you dated vouchers which can be exchanged for your paper at any news outlet. To save money on your Herald simply click here.