Eldridge - "Government Failure on Crime"

1.23.00pm GMT Mon 1st Feb 2010

The Government has failed to tackle violence in knife crime hot-spots, Liberal Democrat analysis of official statistics has found.

The Tackling Knives Action Programme, a scheme designed to target knife violence, was launched in 10 areas in June 2008. Yet, in the last 3 years hospital admissions related to violence have increased by more than 2%.

Prospective MP Colin Eldridge has demanded tougher action on knife crime.

Colin and Chris Huhne, Shadow Home Secretary

He says, "The government should use schemes such as the hugely successful 'Cardiff Model', in which hospitals and police share information in order to identify violent crime hot-spots, to target this problem. The scheme reduced injuries related to knife crime by 40% in the city. It's a huge shame that the government has failed to roll the programme out in other places."

Since 2007, Colin has been campaigning for more police in Liverpool. He was also instrumental in carrying out the Alleygate scheme in the city, which drove down crime by 35%.

Colin has also written to Merseyside's new Chief Constable Jon Murphy about the possibility of introducing the Cardiff Model to Liverpool.