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 | | Wednesday, 8 May, 2002, 03:36 GMT 04:36 UK Top lawyers to tackle street crime  Blair has made street crime one of his top priorities An elite group of lawyers is being assigned to prosecute cases of street crime in an effort to cut delays in court and improve conviction rates. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is deploying some of its most experienced lawyers to concentrate on dealing with street violence and robbery. They will operate in the 67 specialised courts in 10 crime hotspots selected by Home Secretary David Blunkett last month. Rising street crime has become a major political issue and Prime Minister Tony Blair has pledged to bring it under control by September. Crime summit More details on the latest measure are expected to be announced on Wednesday. The move is part of a drive to cut the number of muggings and robberies in areas of high crime. It emerged from a crime summit at Downing Street six weeks ago attended by the police, government ministers and agencies. The CPS pledged to try and cut down procedural delays and improve the quality of prosecutions.
Although overall crime has fallen, street crime is on the increase. In London, for example, it rose 38% in the last year. Last month the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, announced government plans to give 10 areas in England with the highest street crime figures specialist courts to fast-track cases. The courts will provide secure waiting areas to ensure victims are not intimidated and witnesses will be given extra support. Crimes such as robbery, firearms offences, snatch thefts and carjacking will all be fast-tracked through the courts. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, hailed the crime summit at Downing Street as a "tremendous meeting". | |
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