The UK is a world leader in the way hate crime is responded to but there is still work to do. One of our greatest challenges is to reduce the under-reporting of hate crime and this action plan builds on the work achieved to increase the confidence of victims and witnesses to come forward.

There has been significant improvements over recent years in the way victims of rape are treated. Improvements in specialist training of officers and better access to sexual assault referral centres have assisted the policing response and that of our partners in health and the voluntary sector. But there is no room for complacency

The key to protecting victims and alleviating the fear and harm is through everyone taking the issue seriously, through extensive awareness raising and through improved and effective response to stalking by police officers, the criminal justice system and the health service

The Home Secretary has announced today that four police forces will pilot a new domestic violence disclosure scheme

Police forces face an enormous challenge to manage the impact of the cuts and maintain policing services. Investigations would always be managed by police officers but there are others who can contribute and take up functions which help protect the public and bring offenders to justice

The death of PC David Rathband is deeply sad news for the service. He was an officer who personified the values of British policing, showing the utmost bravery when faced with danger in the line of duty

International Narcotics Control Board's annual report has commented on multi-partner initiatives aimed at combating drug misuse

This review rightly acknowledges improvements in recent years to the way victims of rape are treated. Improvements in specialist training of officers, introduction of early evidence kits, better access to sexual assault referral centres and significantly improved crime recording practices have assisted the policing response

A significant percentage of violent crime and anti-social behaviour is alcohol-related. We face these problems because too many people are consuming too much alcohol. However we cannot enforce our way to a solution, it’s about how we prevent the abuse in the first place

The Police Service has stringent rules concerning notification of secondary employment and keeps these rules under review.

The Government has taken account of the police service’s concerns about this substantial change and there is now both a protocol helping to define the two different roles and a strategic policing requirement focussing on important issues at national level

The police service sees the proposed areas of legislative change as being vital to effectively deal with the people who are at the heart of gun crime within communities across the country