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Since his election in June, Mr Lightwood has spearheaded a campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour across Wakefield, Horbury and Ossett, running a survey to hear residents' views.
Today, he has launched a campaign to encourage Wakefield residents to report crimes and antisocial behaviour.
Mr Lightwood's survey found that only 8% of respondents thought their community was safer now than in 2010, with half believing that it had become less safe. Over a third of respondents said they never saw the police at all, with another 42% saying they see them less than once a month.
In November, following Mr Lightwood's campaign, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin announced funding for 60 new police officers for the Wakefield district.
The most recent statistics show that there are over 25,000 incidents of antisocial behaviour reported every week across the country, averaging 1000 a week in West Yorkshire.
Mr Lightwood believes that these figures do not reflect the experiences of his constituents and that numbers may be impacted by a lack of reporting, with officers not even attending 55.2% of all anti-social behaviour incidents recorded between 2019 and 2021. This has motivated Wakefield's MP to launch this campaign.
During an Opposition Day debate today (31 January 2023), Mr Lightwood expressed concerns about the ongoing issues of antisocial behaviour in Wakefield, and across the country. Addressing the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire (Chris Philp MP), Wakefield's MP highlighted the findings of his survey and stated that the people of Wakefield were, 'crying out for action from this Conservative government.'
Speaking to the Wakefield Express, Mr Lightwood said,
"I have been really concerned to hear of so many incidents of antisocial behaviour in Wakefield, Horbury and Ossett.
"I am pleased that Labour managed to secure 60 new officers for the District. However, I know that work is only just beginning.
"Arrests have halved since the Conservatives took office in 2010 and 14,000 neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs have been cut nationwide.
"People have lost faith that reporting crimes will lead to any action, let alone an arrest.
"Despite the valiant work of hardworking officers, the Government is letting the country down when it comes to policing.
"That's why I'm launching my local campaign to encourage residents to report crime and antisocial behaviour when they see it. It's a case of use it or lose it. If we don't report these issues, the statistics that show how crime impacts our communities will not be accurate, and it will affect the level of resources we receive to tackle crime.
“And we need a Labour government to deliver 13,000 new police officers and PCSOs into our communities, to keep the public safe, crack down on crime and punish those who cause misery on our streets.”
You can find Mr Lightwood's campaign details here: https://www.simonlightwood.org.uk/report.