It is
undoubtedly the case that crime fell significantly over the last decade. That
fall followed the trend of increasing crime under the last Conservative
government, which had made significant cuts to frontline policing and failed to
tackle anti-social behaviour.
However,
there is a real danger that the headline lower crime figures are masking
another change in direction.
First,
there is the cut in frontline policing. Nationally, there are already 11,500
fewer police officers than in 2010; 178 fewer in South Yorkshire, 252 fewer in
Derbyshire and 282 fewer in Nottinghamshire. However, on the basis of the
announcements already made, those forces still have significant cuts to make.
For instance, South Yorkshire will be cutting another 239 frontline police
officers by 2015.
Second,
30,000 fewer crimes – including more than 7000 violent crimes - have actually
been solved since 2010. And, even when crimes have been solved, it is really
worrying that some violent offenders are being let off without a criminal
record.
Most people
support community resolution and restorative justice for minor crimes. However,
it is astonishing that, whereas just 2204 ‘violence against the person’
offences were dealt with in that way in 2008, that number had jumped to 33,673
in 2012. Last year, under pressure from Nick Clegg, more than 10,000 cases of
serious violence didn’t even get to court. Further, not only is there no
criminal record, but information about the crime or the criminal is not kept on
the Police National Computer.
Thirdly,
anyone who watches Crimewatch, or has followed the progress from
detection to conviction of many serious cases – let alone thousands of minor
ones – will have noticed the important role that CCTV has played. It is
staggering that this coalition government is now spending £14m on increasing
the red tape to make it harder to get CCTV and for the police and CPS to use
CCTV and DNA evidence.
It’s
getting more likely that the history books will write up Cameron and Clegg as the
criminals’ friends.
