Rhys Jones: City welcomes Brown's promises

Sep 25 2007

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's reference to tragic Rhys Jones in his party conference welcomed by those fighting gun crime in the 11-year-old’s home city.

The football-mad youngster was murdered by a teenage gunman last month sparking a debate about the rise of gun and gang crime across the UK.

Many on Merseyside said they felt Mr Brown’s “war” on gun crime did not go far enough.

Councillor Phil Moffatt, representing Rhys’s community in Croxteth Park said: “Without getting into a political catfight, I think the Government has been too soft on crime and the do-gooders in society have backed the no-gooders and that’s why we have such anarchy in the inner cities.

“It’s too little too late. We need to get the guns off our streets imminently and deal out tougher sentences.”

Dave Saville, chairman of the Croxteth Country Park Residents’ Association, said police should be freed from bureaucracy to get back on the beat.

He said: “It is tragic that it took the death of an innocent 11-year-old before it reaches the Prime Minister and things start to get done.

“I have spoken to the police officers and they are all tied to desks, we don’t see police on the streets.

“Once it has reached the Prime Minister and police find out their hands aren’t tied, then I am sure things will happen.”

Mother-of-four Mary Kelly, 42, whose 16-year-old son Liam was shot dead in Liverpool in 2004, now runs the organisation Mothers Against Guns.

She said: “The Prime Minister needs to understand that the justice system is broken.

“Five years is nothing to these kids who are caught with guns, it should be life and life must mean life.

“My son lost his life and my family and me will be grieving for the rest of our lives. But those who gave the gun to him enter early pleas and keep their noses clean in jail and before long they are back on the streets.

“The sentencing regime is useless and if >fr 1,8fr 3,8< truly wants to declare war on gun crime, that is where he should start.”

Warren Bradley, the Liberal Democrat leader of Liverpool city council, said: “What we need to deal with this problem is more police officers not gimmicks.

“Chief constables, not just in Merseyside but all over the UK, need resources to put more officers on the beat.

“We have been telling the Government this for many years and all the while the problem has been escalating.

“I’m disappointed he didn’t take the opportunity to announce funding for more police officers in the communities where they are so desperately needed.”

Mr Bradley is organising a summit meeting of council leaders, chief executives and chief constables of Britain’s core cities to discuss gun crime.

He said he hopes Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, will accept his invitation to attend the discussions.