I’ve
never been able to work out why the Conservatives proclaimed themselves as ‘the
party of law and order’ as, under their watch, crime has always increased and
they’ve consistently cut police numbers.
From
1997, crime fell by more than 40%. Both the crime statistics and the British
Crime Survey – which each year asks thousands of people of their experience of
crime, whether reported or not – agreed. It might have had something to do with
the significant investment in additional police and PCSO numbers for
neighbourhood policing.
Since
2010, the government has cut police numbers by more than 15,000. Despite
claiming that frontline policing would be protected, more than 10,000 bobbies
have been taken off the streets. South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
have 748 fewer police officers, a more than 10% cut. Yet, because of the
government’s massive transfer of resources from the poorer north to the
wealthier south-east, Surrey has 56 more police officers.
Despite
the constant assertions by Home Secretary Theresa May that crime is falling,
the government’s own watchdog has said that their statistics can no longer be
relied upon. Notwithstanding that, the latest crime figures already show
disturbing signs that a generation of progress in some areas is being reversed.
We
now see worrying increases in muggings and shoplifting across the country,
whilst violence against the person has increased in 16 police forces and
violence without injury has increased in 19 force areas in England and Wales. In
addition, the statistics do not record areas of growing crime, eg shoplifting,
now at a 9 year high according to the British Retail Consortium.
And
crime is changing. Fraud has increased by 34%, but we know this is just the tip
of the iceberg because much online crime goes unreported. Yet no serious action
has been taken by this Government to tackle online fraud and scams.
The
Stevens Inquiry has now warned that we are in danger of returning to a
discredited model of reactive policing. Association of Chief Police Officers’
President, Sir Hugh Orde, has warned we may now be at the tipping point. I fear
they are both correct.
