| MP EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT LOCAL POLICE REDUCTION |
| Friday, 28 September 2007 | |
Following the news that Southport police would be temporarily re-deployed to deal with the Rhys Jones murder enquiry and gun crime in parts of Liverpool, local MPJohn Pugh has expressed concern that this could lead to a further upsurge of violence on Southport streets.
I am confronted with, weekly if not daily, local stories of violence and assault usually on young people but simultaneously am presented with a upbeat and positive statistics from the council and police.
 MP outside Lord St shop With crime there is simply no scope for complacency. We need to scrutinise the statistics carefully for much crime goes unreported but above all we need to maintain vigilance in Southport. Horrifyingly the MP was alerted by a constituent to shops in Lord St that were displaying replica guns in their window as a fashion accessory. "Given the whole context of gun crime it is unbelievably insensitive and downright irresponsible to link youth fashion with guns." |