| MAKING HOMES SECURE |
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March 2005 Merton Liberal Democrats welcome guidelines released in February that explain "reasonable force" when dealing with intruders in the home as they provide much needed clarity about the law. Wimbledon Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate, Stephen Gee, adds, "Journalists and broadcasters also need to act responsibly when reporting such news so that they don't create a climate where anything goes, and headlines informing people that they can "kill intruders" might not have helped. Giving the public this impression could increase the danger of a nasty situation turning into a fatal and tragic one. "Householders need to feel secure in their own homes, and Liberal Democrat policies to put another 10,000 police on the streets would improve security, reduce crime rates and ensure that more criminals are arrested. We need to concentrate on stopping burglaries, and not sidetrack ourselves on the issue of excessive force by householders, which has led to only 11 prosecutions in the last 15 years. If the burglar is not in your home in the first place then you won't need to risk force to remove him."
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