A SENIOR police officer is urging magistrates to get tougher on criminals to help reduce crime. Insp John Maries, of Biggleswade police, says the best way to cut crime is lock criminals away and make sure they serve a minimum sentence with no early releas

A SENIOR police officer is urging magistrates to get tougher on criminals to help reduce crime.

Insp John Maries, of Biggleswade police, says the best way to cut crime is lock criminals away and make sure they serve a minimum sentence with no early release for good behaviour.

"If a person knows they will get three years for burglary and will have to serve three years, they would think twice before committing the crime in the first place," said Insp Maries whose initiatives to reduce crime in the town are working.

"Sentences where a criminal must serve a minimum number of years in prison would dramatically reduce crime. Instead we have a system where a burglar knows he can be back on the streets after 18 months and in many cases continue their criminal activity.

"We have got to get tougher on the criminal in courts and then crime will fall and streets will be safer.

"We've all been horrified by the recent case where a number of men murdered a young girl and stabbed another yet a number of them were on probation and out of prison for other offences.

"People are getting sick and tired of seeing things like this. They want to see justice being done and criminals locked away for a long time."

Insp Maries is also determined that criminals in Biggleswade, Sandy and Potton and the surrounding villages will always feel uncomfortable.

Crime in Insp Maries' B Division of Bedfordshire Constabulary has consistently declined by targeting known criminals and more visible policing.

"Officers are seen which makes it uncomfortable for criminals but we also go into the areas where the criminal lives and make it uncomfortable for them there as well," added Insp Maries.

"Let the criminal know we are around and they think twice before they commit a crime. But the public can do their bit to beat the criminal by being accountable for their actions and not sending out the wrong messages to help the criminal.

"Don't leave laptops on back seats of cars or any property. If we all work together the criminal will go away but we'll still be watching.