Sadly, the only way that any of this ever has the foggiest hope of changing is if the Government feels that it is in real danger of losing an election.

I'm not saying that the Tories would necessarily do a better job - their "media advisers" use the same tricks as Gordon's, after all - but the simple fact is that this Government doesn't care. Every time someone complains, they are swiftly countered by a meaningless statistic based on wobbly evidence and that's that. If the Government can get rid of a problem by pointing to a dodgy survey, then of course they won't do anything meaningful.

In order for this Government actually to take some action, its members will need to worry about their jobs. And the only way thatis going to happen is if we all give the impression that we're going to vote Blue. Or Green, or whatever the Tory colour is now.

Neil, London,

clearly, we need far more police and more clips round the ear. and if that seems a bit tough, well... tough. a bit of discipline and respect (not to mention self-respect) is required. I have no problem with immigration, but those who come should be expected to adhere to our standards, with no exceptions made for cultural or religious reasons. other than that, the government should back off and legislate only where it is absolutely necessary. the public sector is a leech. and I don't like nanny stealing my pocket money.

jem, london, uk

Upon returning to London after an absence of ten years, I
had a couple of hours to wait at Euston Station, for my
train north.
When I went out through the main exit for some
fresh air, I was told by a police officer, who was on horse
back, to "get back inside it's too dangerous out here".

In the not so distant past Ihad walked across Euston Square
and along those streets without a second thought, and
always quite safely.
I can't beleive what England has done to itself.

J Mck, Wellington,

This country needs management, pure and simple. New Labour are derived from failed town hall public sector employees who have never been accountable in any sense. The Conservatives response is pathetic, how can they not get their act together after so long. The UK needs a strong leader to implerment zero telerance on crime. The judicial system is distgusting, the legal progession favouring their own interests and pandering to minority groups and the drviel that comes out of Europe. This country is so full of mindless layers of beaurocracy that it has forgotten how to act in the interests of the average law abiding person on the street. No one so many people are emigrating. After the credit bust we'll be tapping on an empty shell wondering how we all let it go so wrong.

Henry Northcroft, London,

I have an opportunity to work in Oz next year, think i might try and extend the visit for life.

What we have here is people that have no real clue about life dictating policy to us. To be fair to them if they could solve the problems they would but they simply dont have the skill as many other countries do at making long lasting effective policies. The tories are worse the libs are a none entity so leave before it gets any worse!! Prehaps we should look into other countries and take their example in policy instead of making our own useless ones.

More Tax won't work the money would be wasted, where do we turn???

Matzi, reading,

Is there a correlation between Britain's multi-racial, multi-cultural society and high crime compared say to Iceland which has a racially homogenous population and lower crime ?

Robert, Luton,

I spend some time in a small northern Italian town where the various brands of police regularly cruise the streets in their cars. Equally the foot patrols wander the streets and often chat with the locals.
I asked them once about this visibilty scenario and they said they copied the English, as they felt it was a good idea. I wonder how long aso this was taken on board! And would'nt they be surprised if they saw what went on now in the UK!

J Chambers, melton mowbray, uk

Crime will never drop whilst the government looks to a crippled police service to solve the problems endemic in modern Britain. Police funding from the government is directed at PCSOs, who have no powers and are unskilled when compared to police officers. Detection targets erode an officer's discretion in investigating crime, forcing police to concentrate on every petty offence so that the government can show that more crime is being 'solved'. If the government really want to show the public they mean business, they'll remove target based policing, disband PCSOs, invest heavily in more police officers and stop arguing with the police federation over pay for demoralised, over-worked officers. But moreover, they'll look past the police and criminal justice system as their answer to the yob culture and selfishness that prevail in Britain and have the political guts to do something radical about it.

Luke, London, UK

I am an Ameri-Brit. Grew up in Brooklyn NYC in the 70's and yes it was as bad . I have been living in London the past 15 years raising three sons. One of the main reasons I left was I could not stand the random violence, the crackheads, unsafe public transport, the perpetual fear. David Dinkins was mayor, the rich protected by their wealth and everybody else left to fend for themselves.
London seemed a veritible paradise. Nobody honked horns, the tube worked and I could walk anywhere and felt safe.
Well congratulations, this city is now as menacing. Gang mentality, kids hanging out on street corners, harrassing people on buses its awful.
We have hired private security on our street and I protested to deaf ears. I felt strongly that all the effort going into hiring private security should go into supporting the police. I was laughed at as naive by my neighbours and then violently mugged on my doorstep in front of my boys. Let us not be afraid to take our city back. It is not immoral

rina , london, England

What do you expect - look who's in power

Phil, Preston,

All these are signs of the approaching end of our so called civilised society. "Human rights" has now become a god we must fall down and worship. Who feels free? - I don't anymore in this once pleasant land.

The writing is on the wall and organised and disorganised crime will run things very soon if this isn't the case already.

Don't expect any justice, wait for the Day of Judgement for that!

Mike Ankin, Stowmarket, UK

I live in Wymondham and we have a new county central police H.Q We see two officers weekdays between 4 & 5 o'clock ticketing residents who park illegally to nip into the bank or the chip shop. Come on, is that the best they can do? yet there are only three traffic officers to monitor all the roads in Norfolk and attend to accidents. In Thetford Norfolk during school break, young boys ride there bikes up the streets grabbing handbags off ladies' shoulders.
In order to police, officers need to be 'out there' not be sitting in their posh offices at the new H.Q

Linda, Wymondham, U.K.

This government is in a state of liberal denial. Its refusal to support traditional family values at the centre of society has led to the breakdown of society that no end of police initiatives will solve. I work with young people all the time and, in general, those with problems, and create problems, are those without stable parents.

Keith, Bishop's Stortford,

I live in the centre of Bristol, a young man of about 22 was badly stabbed outside of my front door a few weeks ago at about 10.00pm on a Sunday evening.

I have lived in the area for almost five years, I can confirm that fights and other attacks have increased dramatically since I have been living there.

And my (ex) mother-in-law said she felt safer walking in New York at night than she did on the streets of her home town where she has lived all her life.

Clive, Bristol, England

my local area has a very lage population of, mainly somalian, asylum seekers and illegal immigrants packed into flats and houses desiged for 1/4 their present occupation levels. most of them cannot or do not work and cannot claim benifits, they make a living any way they can, prostitution, selling "Kat" and street robbery.
Political correctness prevents local authoritys and media from tackling the problem,but I live here and I see it and experence it every day.

paul, Milton Keynes, Bucks

I have spent half a year in England as a student and I find the situation with drinking, crime and other deliquent behaviour to be simply dreadful and appauling. Thank G-d I do not live in the UK. I live in a country where cars and houses go unlocked or do not need the latest technology security systems and still stay untouched!
All this is a result of social breakdown as social and family values no longer exist. I am not shocked about the UK government lying because that is what it did for Iraq and cheating its own public and other countries for its interest has been a characteristic of any UK government for many many years. There is no morality.
The situation will remain as such and become even worse because the average British citizen is ignorant and uncaring about his enviroment, society and politics. The bulk of his interests can be covered by Drinking, Sexual Intercourse and Money Making.
British people wake up. You live in the worst industrialised nation in the world.

Andreas Andreou, Nottingham,

All previous comments seem to imply the same cause of this problem, the labour government. I have some sympathy with that argument but I would remind conservatives that, for longer than I care to think, they have elected totally unelectable leaders of their party.

They are so obsessed with the petty dogma of their geriatric core supporters that they choose leaders who have no chance of ever becoming Prime Minister. Consequently THEY are responsible for the labour government which they now seek to blame for all of the countries ills.

The only electable conservative MP capable of becoming Prime Minister is, and has been, Ken Clarke. You have made your own bed so go and have another 4 year sleep

Mike, Norwich,

Edwina Rigby from Blackburn - all your problems will be solved when the Islam flag hangs over Downing Street.

majid, dubai, uae

I have had this suspicion for almost 10 years now, and that being this government is doing it's best to rid this country of every decent person in this country. Before Blair came to power he told his party that if they did what he said they would never be out of office, well it looks as though he was correct. As it stands there are three million ex-pats around the world and there's a queue to get out. Every decent person in this country knows the problems we have whether it be crime, immigration, the decline of democracy, this gov have promoted everything the people do not want. there is a general consensus this gov are inept, don't believe it, they know exactly what they are doing and it's going to get a lot worse, and by the way, please don't think anything will change if Cameron gets in, because it most certainly will not. Times are going to get even worse before they get better. Here's a prediction, The next election will see the largest turnout of the electorate for years.

peter, leeds, uk

There is not enough room on this cramped little island of ours, and still the government keeps letting hundreds of thousands in. Animals would eat each other.

CA, Manchester, UK

How much longer do we have to put up with this country being run by a bunch of muppets?

d case, newquay,

The rise in crime has unsurprisingly coincided with record levels of immigration, we let foreigners in with good intentions and they return the favour by brutalising the inhabitants of this country.

Why should our once proud nation be tarnished as the most violent in Europe when a large amount of the rising violence is caused by 'people' that aren't even from this country?

James Roberts, Manchester, UK

I travel to the United States regularly, there every town has its own police department that responds to local needs. Not there (as in my town) is the police station closed and the site sold off and developed into flats. Not there as in my town NO police car on patrol. In the town of comparable size I go to regularly (Glens Falls, NY) there are always THREE police cars patrolling and an officer walking the beat "Down Town". Finally if Community Support Officers are such a good idea why don't other Countries follow our example?

Bob Mileham, Chertsey, UK

This country is a managed disgrace,bread and circus rubbish for the masses,a cowardly and indifferent media,and a population sleepwalking into a nightmare of rising crime, coupled with a vast increase of the powers of the state. No one will tell the truth any more:we are going to hell in a Handcart. Time to sell up and move out.

Edwina Rigby, Blackburn, England

That's all very well, but in the meantime we are left to face the consequences and no doubt fresh crops of faked reassuring statistics will be concocted and the public will be bamboozled into voting for this gang again - expect more crime, illegal immigration and failure to successfully deal with any of these problems emanating from New Labour's new laws when they were elected.

kay, leeds, UK

This is a very telling article, a damning indictment of the state of our nation. Society has been breaking down over the last decade; recently UNICEF 'awarded' this country LAST place in a league table for child well-being across 21 industrialised countries. We are now officially declared the most violent nation in Europe; Britain is worst in Europe for teenage pregnancy rates. Women in the UK are worst the worst binge drinkers in the WORLD. The list goes on and on...
Nevertheless, the government have an endless stream of well-rehearsed glib excuses to play down the facts.
Wakey-wakey, Gordon Brown and company ! Stop living in denial and DO something ( preferably not another tax if you could arrange that ? )

Rick, Greater London, England