Open up secret crime museum’s "Jack The Ripper" artefacts to the public
Posted by GLA Conservatives in 
The Met’s hidden crime museum should become a temporary exhibit with profits reinvested into frontline policing
The Met should open up its secret 150 year old Crime Museum collection to the public and turn it into a profitable attraction, according to a new report.
“History’s Life Sentence” proposes that the Met, instead of opening a costly stand-alone museum¹, should tender a contract to private exhibition operators for showcasing rights and reinvest the generated profits into frontline policing.
An initial temporary three month exhibition in a pre-existing London museum could attract as many as 300,000 visitors and pay for an additional 54,900 front line police hours².
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90 trials a day delayed: half due to failings by prosecution or court system
- 31,842 trials delayed across England and Wales – more than half due to failings by prosecution or court system
- London worst performing region at both Crown and Magistrates courts with up to 20% of trials postponed
Almost 32K (31,842) trials in Crown and Magistrates courts were delayed in the UK in 2012, working out at 87 every day of the year. Over 18.5K (18,523) of these trials were delayed due to failings by the prosecution or court administration.
Of all the trials delayed in the UK, 58% of Magistrates court and 61% of Crown court cases, were postponed because of the prosecution not being ready or available, the absence of a prosecution witness, or court administration failings.
London was the worst performing region for both Crown Court cases (16% of trials being classed as ineffective) and joint worst with the Midlands at Magistrates Court level (20% of cases delayed).
Almost half of all crimes 'ignored' by police
- 40% of burglaries, 23% of robberies and 76% of car thefts not investigated by UK’s biggest force
- “If you are a thief, you can rest assured that over three quarters of your crimes, reported by victims, will be ignored by police”
Almost half (45%) of all crimes are not investigated by the Met – the UK’s biggest police force – according to the 2012/13 figures uncovered by GLA Conservatives Assembly Member Roger Evans.
The data shows a quarter (23%) of robberies and 40% of burglaries are ‘screened out’ by the Met, as well as 76% of car thefts and 81% of cycle thefts.
Roger is now calling for victims of crime to be allowed the right to appeal to their local safer neighbourhood boards – groups of local volunteers working with local police which come into existence from 2014 – if the police decide not to investigate their crime.
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Union strike threats over 'Driver Only' trains absurd
Move expected to save £5 million every year and provide a faster and more reliable Overground service
Making trains completely ‘Driver Only’ on parts of the London Overground would save an expected £5 million every year and provide a faster, safer and more reliable service.
Richard Tracey, London Assembly Member and GLA Conservatives’ spokesman for Transport condemns the threat of strike action by unions in response to TfL’s announcement that the old North London Line will become ‘driver only’ by December 2013 and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line in 2014.
More than one sex worker attacked every day in the UK, yet three quarters won’t go to police
London has highest number of incidents totalling more than one a week
There have been 410 reported crimes against sex workers in the UK in the past year, a quarter of those (106) were sexual assaults, 68 were reported rapes. Yet, just 28% of victims have been willing to report it formally to police.
The first year of the successful ‘Ugly Mugs’ pilot shows London having the highest number of reported incidents totalling more than one a week at 84 – 25 of those were sexual assaults and 14 were rapes.
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Boroughs must get real about affordable housing to get London’s 180K stalled developments moving
Overly ambitious affordable housing targets stifles development of new homes
4th July 2013: Steve O’Connell will today call for London boroughs to take a flexible approach to affordable housing requirements where necessary, in order to provide enough new homes for London’s growing population.
London’s population is forecast to grow to nine million by 2020. However, according to the latest GLA figures, there are 180,000 homes waiting in stalled developments in London. Steve O’Connell will point to the turnaround of stalled developments such as Bradstowe House in Harrow and the IYLO Building in Croydon.
Tube sponsorship: A major advance as transport boss agrees to consider sizeable offers
“Now TfL must actively seek bids from firms – not just wait for something to turn up”
Today has seen a major development on Londonwide Assembly Member Gareth Bacon’s costed proposal for the sponsorship of London’s Tube stations. TfL Commissioner Sir Peter Hendy has agreed to consider “Emirates style” offers.
Gareth Bacon, GLA Conservatives Budget spokesman, and author of the report which kick started the debate on this subject, welcomes the shift that has emerged from today’s ongoing TfL board meeting.
A six point plan to cut waste and help keep fares down
The GLA Conservatives are proposing a costed six point plan for Transport For London (TfL) in response to today’s forthcoming Department of Transport (DfT) funding announcement.
Richard Tracey, Transport spokesman for the GLA Conservatives, said:
“We have put together a comprehensive package of proposals which will help TfL cut waste, save hundreds of millions of pounds, make it a leaner organisation and reduce its dependence on the whims of Central Government.
“At time when budgets are tight, our proposals – accelerating driverless trains, introducing Tube sponsorship, sorting out gold plated pensions, reforming strike laws and introducing flexible ticketing – will ultimately ensure that transport bosses can continue their vital infrastructure upgrades, bear down on fares for Londoners and keep the Capital moving.”
City Hall small business funding should have specific allocation for young entrepreneurs
GLA Conservatives Assembly Member Steve O’Connell will urge the Mayor to make a specific allocation for young entrepreneurs from the London Enterprise Panel’s recently announced £25 million scheme to raise loan finance for small businesses. Recent data has found that 3 in 10 young people hope to work for themselves while only 5.3% actually are self-employed.*
Steve O’Connell said: “With nearly one in four young Londoners unemployed giving young entrepreneurs the support to be self-employed should be a high priority. The Mayor’s apprenticeship program has helped thousands of young Londoners get a valuable first step on the employment ladder and it would be great to see the Mayor put the same focus on self-employment. The Mayors first step should be making sure any future small business funding coming from City Hall has a specific allocation for young entrepreneurs. ”
- RT @DepMayorLondon: Looking forward to the lighting of Traf Sq Christmas Tree tonight. We've got carols for good causes coming up ... http:…
- Costed ways to keep Londoners fares down for years to come by Roger Evans and Richard Tracey in today's @CityAM @cityamforum
- @AndrewBoff talking to @IainDale now about how to keep fares down for the long term @lbc973 #tubefares
- How can tube fares be frozen at inflation for years to come? Roger Evans explains how @guardian http://t.co/eNCGkhBDe2 #tubefares