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Cameron sets out youth crime plan Cameron sets out youth crime plan
(20 minutes later)
David Cameron has called for a "three-dimensional" fight against youth crime, focusing on families, policing and the justice system.David Cameron has called for a "three-dimensional" fight against youth crime, focusing on families, policing and the justice system.
The Conservative leader said Labour had failed to "strengthen society". The Conservative leader said the UK was suffering a "crisis of order" and that "violence grows in the fertile soil of anti-social behaviour".
He added that magistrates should be able to jail criminals for up to a year - rather than six months - and that police should have less paperwork. Mr Cameron said magistrates should be able to jail criminals for up to a year - rather than six months.
On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said gang violence was caused by an absence of father figures. He also called for police to be freed up to spend more time on patrol.
'Don't feel safer' 'Better balance'
Mr Cameron is outlining measures to tackle youth crime. In a speech in Darwen, Lancashire, he said the government had to "reverse the social breakdown which is the root cause of the criminality we see around us".
Speaking earlier to GMTV, he said families should be encouraged to stay together through the tax and benefit system. Mr Cameron added: "If we are to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour we need a resolute and a comprehensive approach.
He added: "The problem is the government's response is one-dimensional. "Instead of the one-dimensional approach just looking at criminal justice we need a three-dimensional approach.
The most important thing we can do to tackle the lawlessness on the streets is free up police David Cameron "First the response of the courts, second the response of the police and third the response of society as a whole"
"They have just looked at the criminal justice system. They have passed over 30 new laws, they have created over 3,000 new offences but I don't think any of us feel safer on the streets. Magistrates should be allowed to sentence for longer and the early-release scheme should be scrapped, he added.
"What we need is a three-dimensional approach - looking at criminal justice, yes, but also looking at policing and thirdly looking at society and how to strengthen society and strengthen communities. 'General bonfire'
"It's only through that three-dimensional approach that we can get to grips with the problems on our streets and the fear in our society." Police spent "more time on paperwork than they do on patrol" with the government "guilty of wasting police time", Mr Cameron said.
Mr Cameron said police officers typically spent just a fifth of their time on the beat, adding: "If they stop someone, they have to fill in a form that is a foot long and if they arrest someone they tend to spend four hours down at the station filling paper work. He said he wanted a "general bonfire" of police targets, making them "accountable to the people they serve" rather than Whitehall.
"The most important thing we can do to tackle the lawlessness on the streets is free up police from targets and paperwork and make them accountable to the local community." Social problems such as drugs, drink, unemployment and debt also needed to be tackled, Mr Cameron added.
'Continuing problem' He said: "Other cities, other countries have fought the battle of anti-social behaviour and won it - and we've got to do that too."
On Tuesday, Mr Straw said the "continuing problem" of gang violence was due to the absence of fathers in black communities. On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said the "continuing problem" of gang violence was due to the absence of fathers in black communities.
He said young black men needed their fathers as role models, otherwise their development suffered.He said young black men needed their fathers as role models, otherwise their development suffered.
Black girls from similar backgrounds had different attitudes and succeeded more than black boys, he said.Black girls from similar backgrounds had different attitudes and succeeded more than black boys, he said.
He was responding to US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who said inner-city violence was an economic problem.He was responding to US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who said inner-city violence was an economic problem.
He called for more investment in pre-natal care and education, rather than building more jails.He called for more investment in pre-natal care and education, rather than building more jails.