As you know I have been saying for quite a while now that I find the issue around ‘priorities’ somewhat annoying. In any other profession, they are pretty much left to decide how to best achieve the desired outcome- the Army for example.
‘Go and invade blah…’, says the gov. The Army obey and come up with a plan to do that.
…not with the police though… no…
“We want more bobbies on the beat and less crime…”
We all know that the best way to deal with acquisitive crime is to target those nominals that are doing it day-in, day-out…the prolific offender. Take them out and crime drops sharply…
Stop investigating crime and the public start to question the futility of reporting in the first place.
So, it comes as no surprise that officers in Leicestershire Constabulary are being removed from investigation posts like mine to walking the street on a beat. Not because it’s the right thing to do-or even efficient…it’s just what people want to see.
Officers in Leicestershire will no longer be expected to pursue inquiries, go out on raids or attend incidents.
Instead they will spend their time chatting to members of the public while on patrol and tackling low-level antisocial behavior.
Their chief constable insisted the radical changes are in response to public demand and pressures on limited resources.
But the move provoked a furious backlash last night amid fears it will simply lead to more criminals ‘getting away with it’.
Labour MP Ian Austin, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: ‘When a crime is committed, people want a police officer to investigate and the guilty people found, charged, taken to court and punished.
‘Giving advice on not becoming a victim of crime is obviously important, but surely the police’s number one job is to catch criminals so they can be convicted. We have got to be wary of anything which gives the public the impression that fewer crimes will be investigated.’
Sure Ian… you might want to speak to the Home Secretary then- because she has some VERY different ideas of how that will work and doesn’t agree with you…
It’s going to get much worse… much worse…
“busy day ahead Janet… Morrisons to get lunch, neighborhood watch meeting, school gate patrol, grab some stuff for the tea kitty and off at 5…”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2944958/Police-force-tells-155-officers-stop-investigating-crime-ll-seen-beat-public.html
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