‘Big drop in North Yorkshire crime!’ (Northern Echo 2nd February 2010)
CRIME in England’s biggest county is on the way down – dropping by more than a tenth over 12 months. (See full NYP press release)
- Crime down by 10.5% in the last six months
- 3,892 less victims of crime – performance projected to continue
- County remains one of the safest and low-crime places in the whole country
- 915 fewer thefts from vehicles
- 33 fewer personal robberies
- Domestic burglaries down by 356 incidents
- 223 fewer thefts of vehicles
- Serious violence detection rates jump from 50.6% to 68.7%
…We have had the lowest crime rate per head of population and we have done this in challenging circumstances… (Chief Constable)
Some impressive figures you must agree however, does all this really matter to the pensioner who has eggs being thrown at her windows by yobs, on an almost daily basis? Your grandmother, who lives alone, who is scared half to death and frightened to leave her home, except during the hours of daylight.
No, she is more concerned about getting her call for help answered, for a police officer being able to respond promptly and, she also wants to have the confidence that; culprits will actually feel the full weight of the British legal system bearing down on them, where applicable…
Ultimately she would prefer that something be done to prevent the issue occurring in the first place!
She is not interested in hot air and public relations spin. She wants to see the physical evidence of a police force providing the presence and services that officers in this country were once famous and respected for.
‘Prevention’ of and ‘Protection’ from crime, prior to ‘detection’, not in place of. This is what the public crave!
Not lack lustre fire brigade policing with limited (and often unsafe) resource levels or indeed, the clever manipulation of statistical or technical crime figures.
A set of numbers that are published with the sole aim of disguising the reality, enhancing the CV of some Senior Police Officer, increasing public suport for some political party or other, enhancing public opinion about an ailing government and hopefully, making us feel a little better!
How’s your Grandmother feeling?
Dave's Bankside Babble 