Published: Thursday, 24th April, 2008 12:00
Jacqui's vote-grabbing visit to boost Labour's chances
By Adam Hewitt
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Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Sara Thornton discusses neighbourhood policing with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith
Pic by: Ed Godden
HOME Secretary Jacqui Smith was in town yesterday (Wednesday) to see neighbourhood policing in action on the Oxford Road.
As part of the pre-election visit to Reading, she joined police officers to chat with shopkeepers about the ongoing fight against drug dealers and prostitutes.
She stopped off at Elle’s Baguettes to meet owner Danny Gerrard, and then spoke to Brigid Parkes at the ABC To Read charity based at Bridge Hall.
Mrs Smith told The Chronicle: “In Reading there’s a strong Labour council working well with police officers and PCSOs and that brings the sort of great results I’ve been seeing today.
“It really makes a difference to the local community and local businesses.”
Mr Gerrard said: “We came here to the Oxford Road six years ago and back then you’d constantly be accosted by prostitutes, there would be drinks cans everywhere all the time. It’s a better area now, not completely of course but some of that stuff has definitely gone.”
More than 22 years of Labour rule could come to an end on Thursday, May 1, as a third of the seats on Reading Borough Council go to the polls.
The party is defending 12 seats and is facing a tough fight to keep its majority in the face of Tory advances last year. Six Labour councillors have opted to stand down this year, as all 16 wards vote - including Mapledurham, which has just one councillor instead of three.
Labour will expect wins in Abbey, Battle, Norcot and Whitley, while Lib Dem-dominated Tilehurst seems safe for them.
The Home Secretary had a stroll around the Oxford Road area – with no stab vest in sight – while talking with Reading Superintendent Steve Kirk and Thames Valley chief constable Sara Thornton, who told her about the successful local Community Office which is soon to be made more accessible to the public.
Mrs Smith said: “There’s a great partnership here between the council and strong neighbourhood policing teams. People in the community know their local officers, and businesses can talk easily to PCSOs they know.
“Reading Borough Council has successes under its belt, things like the Madejski Stadium, a much lower council tax increase than the neighbouring Conservative authorities, and a strong Labour council making the right decisions.”
The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee is in Reading today (Thursday) discussing the poaching of police officers from the Thames Valley by the Metropolitan Police, and Mrs Smith said: “I’ve been talking about this today with Martin Salter and Sara Thornton and others.
“We’re talking about more flexible pay and other options, and there are continuing discussions about that.”
Reading West MP Mr Salter, hair freshly cut for the occasion, said: “I’m very pleased the Home Secretary has taken the time to come to Reading today.
“As for the local elections, it would be naive to think that Reading is immune to the national situation, but we’ve got a good story to tell
here.
“Four years ago this road was a very different place. I had a bit of a battle royal with the Police Federation over the introduction of PCSOs, but that was a fight we won and they are fantastic, some of the most valued members of the community. I’m particularly pleased we have a Polish speaking PCSO in this area now.”
The Home Secretary said she and Mr Salter were still good friends after he resigned as her Parliamentary Private Secretary two years ago over selection in schools, and she praised the strong record of council leader David Sutton and other councillors who joined her for the walk-about.
Mr Sutton welcomed her visit and said he was glad she had seen the improvements that neighbourhood policing had brought to Reading.
At the weekend he called for the town to vote on local issues like the regeneration of Oxford Road rather than national concerns, and he told the Chronicle: “We want people to focus on which party they think is best to run Reading. We know nationally the polls are against us and people have concerns, but here in Reading on the doorstep we’re picking up the message that it’s local issues and successes that matter.”
Borough regeneration leader Cllr Tony Page told the Home Secretary how in parts of Reading the council was looking to move from neighbourhood policing into neighbourhood management, with PCSOs, neighbourhood officers, council staff, and the health service all working together to improve problem areas.
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