JACK Straw beat the Tories in the election battle on who was toughest on crime. But that was a war of words - now is the time for the Home Secretary to deliver.

But will the government's new Crime Reduction Strategy, which he was unveiling today, do that?

Key aspects of the plan include halving the time it takes courts to deal with persistent young offenders and boosting police efficiency. But ordinary people may be struck by the general vagueness of how the government aims to tackle crime.

Mr Straw must flesh out these plans with meaningful measures - more police on the beat, tough sentences, as well as swift ones, that deter persistent offenders, and marked reductions in the crime figures, so that the streets feel safe.

That's the strategy ordinary people want.

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