Newark MP Robert Jenrick writes about crime and punishment

Last month, a young man was brutally attacked in a supermarket in Bingham, writes Robert Jenrick, MP for Newark.

He was punched repeatedly in the face and left with serious injuries.

His father stepped in to protect him — only to have his phone stolen in the scuffle. The attackers fled the scene.

Sadly, this sort of incident is no longer unique. I speak to residents and shopkeepers in Newark and Bingham every week who tell me the same thing: crime is rising, and nothing is being done about it.

The blunt truth is this - few Britons have confidence that offenders who commit so-called “minor” crimes will ever be punished. Many no longer believe the police will even turn up, let alone investigate.

That’s not acceptable.

There’s no such thing as a minor crime to the person it’s happening to. Whether it’s shoplifting, abuse, antisocial behaviour or theft, these acts chip away at our sense of safety and drive decent people out of our town centres.

I believe in the “Broken Windows” approach, championed by Rudy Giuliani in New York. The principle is simple: if you allow low-level crime and disorder to fester, more serious crime follows. But if you take a zero-tolerance approach - cleaning up graffiti, punishing shoplifting, dealing firmly with antisocial behaviour - you restore public confidence and take back control of the streets.

That’s why I’ve been campaigning for tougher penalties for shoplifters, more visible police patrols, and powers to lock up repeat offenders. I believe in second chances - but not tenth ones. Every crime should be investigated, and every offender punished - severely if necessary.

We need a justice system that works for the law-abiding majority - not the criminals. And we need to see Labour taking this seriously - not doing what Sir Keir Starmer is proposing: letting prolific thieves and repeat offenders out of prison early. That sends entirely the wrong message to offenders in Newark, Nottinghamshire, and across the country.

This doesn’t have to be the new normal. If we take crime seriously and punish it properly, we can restore pride in our communities and make our town centres safe again.

If you’ve been affected by crime, I want to hear from you.