Agenda item

7.34 pm – Councillor Greg Smith moved, seconded by Councillor Oliver Craig, the special motion standing in their names:

“This Council notes:

a.         The poor legacy of the previous administration in making inadequate provision for fighting crime;

b.         The firm action taken by this administration on crime in our Town Centres, including the ground breaking 24/7 police teams in Fulham Broadway and Shepherds Bush Green, enhanced police teams in Hammersmith Broadway and a zero tolerance approach to drugs and violence on our estates.

This Council welcomes:

a.         The much improved security in the borough (and in particular the main Town Centres) under this Conservative administration;

b.         The overall reduction in crime from 25,861 crimes in 2005/06 to 22,858 crimes in 2009/09; with a real terms reduction in crime projected for 2009/10;

c.         The contribution of crime fighting measures by the Council to delivery of the 2006 Conservative election promise of “Lower Taxes, Less Waste and Better Services.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Greg Smith and Oliver Craig (for the Administration).

Under Council Procedure Rule 15(e) (vi), Councillor Lisa Homan, seconded by Councillor Ed Owen, moved an amendment to the motion as follows:

Delete all after "This council notes" and replace with:

"the failure of this Administration to deliver on the motion brought before this Council by Councillor Greg Smith on the 31 January 2007 anticipating annual reductions in overall crime of 10 per cent in the wards trialling so-called 24/7 policing; points out that overall crime in these wards has often risen in the subsequent period, and that the performance across the borough lags behind that of the previous Labour Administration and of London as a whole.

We therefore call for a comprehensive review of the causes of this Administration's failure and for investment funding to be made immediately available by LBHF for the Police to provide the five wards with the highest crime rates 24/7 Police Task Squad cover."

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Lisa Homan, Ed Owen, and Stephen Cowan (for the Opposition) and Councillors Greg Smith and Nicholas Botterill (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            10

AGAINST                     23

ABSENTIONS               0

The motion was declared LOST.

Speeches on the substantive motion were then made by Councillor Belinda Donovan (for the Administration) and  Councillors Ed Owen and Stephen Cowan (for the Opposition).

Councillor Greg Smith (for the Administration) made a speech winding up the debate before the substantive motion was put to the vote:

FOR                            24

AGAINST                     11

ABSTENTIONS           0

The motion was declared CARRIED.

8.25 pm – RESOLVED:

This Council notes:

a.         The poor legacy of the previous administration in making inadequate provision for fighting crime;

b.         The firm action taken by this administration on crime in our Town Centres, including the ground breaking 24/7 police teams in Fulham Broadway and Shepherds Bush Green, enhanced police teams in Hammersmith Broadway and a zero tolerance approach to drugs and violence on our estates.

This Council welcomes:

a.         The much improved security in the borough (and in particular the main Town Centres) under this Conservative administration;

b.         The overall reduction in crime from 25,861 crimes in 2005/06 to 22,858 crimes in 2009/09; with a real terms reduction in crime projected for 2009/10;

c.         The contribution of crime fighting measures by the Council to delivery of the 2006 Conservative election promise of “Lower Taxes, Less Waste and Better Services.