Crime is Down

[KateLMead]

Believe this if you like.. I can confirm the polices attitude around here, telephone them regarding threats and crime.. A police woman and a community policeman will go to the complainant , she will question the individual who reported the offense and regardless of the fact the reported individual has a reputation for violence and instability, they then go to him and guess what they go back by all accounts saying "No case to answer"
He has stated that he and his family have friends in high places, by the way he gets off every time he commits an offense one could believe this.. He was recently done for fighting and almost demolishing a pub in town, he got off with another warning. He is violent and mentally unstable he has seen a psychiatrist, he is on drugs and has regular bouts of alcohol problems... he has smashed up vehicles when under the influence yet every time he escapes punishment and still drives.. One could consider this chaps actions mild, however they are on going and it is only a matter of time before he hurts someone seriously.. He would get off of course due to his mental instablilty these are in my opinion criminals in the making.

[Workingman]

There is a report out by the Institute of Economics and Peace saying that the UK is more peaceful than a decade ago. It bases its findings on murders, manslaughters and infanticide.

It might be right as far as those are concerned, but it doesn't work, as far as I can see, with the rise in general yobbishness and the unwillingness of the justice system - police, judges, CPS etc. - to deal wit it.

I am sick and tired of these academics poring over spreadsheets and databases and coming up with 'answers'. Get them of f their backsides and out into the real world and see what they come up with after a Friday/Saturday night in our towns and cities. Let them walk the streets or use public transport any day of the week and see how peaceful they feel.

[KateLMead]

Couldn't agree more Frank, a friend a policeman for 30 odd years retired 18 months ago in disgust he was known as a real decent dependable local copper who the public could depend on.. He was disgusted at the way police force had changed, were restricted, and the apathy of those in the force.. The rot has set in.. Judges and the like are wimps don't believe in hard labour or punishment.. They will punish people for small crimes like no TV licence, but will let off thugs, gangs, paedophiles, gangs of young criminals we read of those sent abroad on expensive holidays! what a joke.. Other violent acts, drunks fighting destroying property let off with a caution no caution in many cases as we have observed around here.... And the government fills the airways with lies Pretending that the shocking murders, fraud, corruption violence and crimes are down.

[Workingman]

I sometimes catch a glimpse of one of those police game shows where Daz and Kev are chasing round in their Mitsubishi Evo after joyriders who have often stolen the cars they are in. There will be helicopters and other police vehicles involved, sometimes for long stints. However when the criminals are caught it is all quite friendly, then the commentator in his 'mockney' accent informs us that they got 100 hours community service and a six month ban. Rubbish!

[Suff]

The only place crime is down in this country is crime prevention. It's down the tubes.

[cromwell]

A while ago I got an automated phone call from "British Gas" who told me to ring number X to discuss "a problem with your account".
So I did, and the gentleman who answered the phone asked me to very slowly tell him my account number, then my full name, then my address...
Half way through this the penny suddenly dropped that this was most likely a scam. Once they have my account number, they should certainly have access to my details. Also, why did this call from a national organisation come from a local number?
So I rang the local police non-emergency line. They were very chatty, happy to talk about it and other scams but not at all willing to do anything about it. I was advised to make some more enquiries and then ring them back. Cheers, thanks for that. I didn't bother.
I'm not anti police. My late father was a policeman, my daughter's partner is too. And they were and are asked to do things which the ordinary person doesn't see or wish to know about. But the frustrating thing is that the police seem to be so top heavy; there seems to be virtually no presence on the street at all.

[Suff]

#1 son once told me that Aberdeen, the 4th largest city in Scotland, a country of over 5 million people, had only SIX, yes that really IS SIX, police officers on the beat on a normal weekday night.

Crime is down? What you can't see won't hurt you. If you don't allow it to be reported then it's not a crime. Even if the attempt is actually a crime... Apparently they're too busy dealing with "real crime" to deal with "attempted crime" and we all know where that leads.

No wonder #1 son, an officer with a 76% arrest to conviction record (the highest in the region), wants to get the hell out....

[KateLMead]

A Great number take early retirement handed a nice fat indexed pension and a golden handshake.. Within months they are back in the force as advisors. Nice money if you can get it!!

[Suff]

Nope, no retirement, pension sucks, he's paying 20% of his salary into his pension and likely to see 16% per year for his retirement.

He's decided to pull all of his pension out and put the 20% (or part of it), into the mortgage on a house in France. Better return and better payback.

He's heading for the rigs. Doesn't want to see the police again if he can possibly avoid it. Disillusionment is that bad and he can make more money as a roustabout on the rigs than as an advisor to the police. His pension is 25 years down the line too.

These are the people that the police can scarce afford to lose. They are left with the seat warmers....

[Workingman]

A Great number take early retirement handed a nice fat indexed pension and a golden handshake.. Within months they are back in the force as advisors. Nice money if you can get it!!

Kate, I understand what you are saying, and it is a problem, but the main one is that crimes are being downgraded to misdemeanours in order to massage crime figures. Not only that, but resources are being diverted to PC 'crimes'.

We recently had the young girl who was going to be a junior PCC investigated for 'tweets' she made when aged 14. There was a councillor who made comments not approved by the PC police forced to resign. Then there was the expensive 'Plebgate' case.

The justice system has gone mad.