JAIL TERMS TO BE HALVED FOR GUILTY PLEAS - THE LATEST DISGRACEFUL BETRAYAL OF BRITISH JUSTICE

This cartoon will be a close reflection and sad indictment of the British Judicial system if the latest crackpot proposal from the Ministry of Justice is agreed.

Thousands of criminals who plead guilty will have their jail terms halved under government sentencing plans, although rapists and paedophiles are to be excluded.

The Ministry of Justice was forced to toughen up its plans after an outcry over initial proposals which indicated that all those pleading guilty could be considered for a 50 per cent reduction in their jail terms. David Cameron has already ordered Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, to rule out sentence reductions for rapists, and the Ministry of Justice has declared that paedophiles would also be barred from taking advantage of the new rules.


Downing Street is finalising the revised policy and the Prime Minister is expected to begin an offensive in the coming days to dispel accusations that the Coalition is soft on crime. But the guidance on sentencing is still likely to mean more criminals are able to escape with shorter jail terms. Back-bench Tories are urging Mr Cameron to show he is mindful of concerns about the party’s image on law and order by ruling out reduced sentences to all but a small number.

Thousands of serious criminals will be entitled to lower sentences if they plead guilty, with a discount of as much as 50 per cent instead of the current third.

The latest Ministry of Justice figures show that in December last year, of nearly 85,000 offenders in jail, 7,875 were serving sentences of 12 months or less. A total of 28,427 criminals had been handed sentences of less than four years in jail.

Figures released this week also show that the number of offenders being sent back to prison each year more than quadrupled last year from the number in 2000. More than 100,000 offenders, including killers, rapists and sex offenders, have been freed from jail only to be recalled after breaching the terms of their release over the past decade, the statistics disclose.

Last month, MoJ data indicated that criminals given longer jail terms were less likely to reoffend than those serving shorter sentences. According to the figures, only a third of offenders given sentences of two to four years go back to crime within a year. By contrast, 43 per cent of those jailed for one to two years go on to reoffend.

According to MOJ figures, 100,190 offenders were given immediate custodial sentences in 2009/10. Of these 70,366 were sentenced to 12 months or less, 23,153 received between 12 months and 4 years and 6,671 received 4 years or more.


Mr Clarke said in April that he favoured increased use of community punishment sentences, providing they are “more punitive, effective and organised”. The idea forms part of his strategy to cut reoffending and reduce the prison population by 3,500 by 2015 from 85,224.

However, Mr Clarke's position looked uncertain earlier this month as the Prime Minister retreated on plans to halve sentences for offenders pleading guilty following an outcry over cutting terms for rapists and violent offenders.


Let us remind ourselves of extracts from the Conservative Manifesto on crime. 

Prisons with a purpose :  In the last three years, 80,000 criminals have been released early from prison because the Labour Government failed to build enough places. We are determined that early release will not be introduced again, so we will redevelop the prison estate and increase capacity as necessary to stop it. Under Labour, the number of foreign criminals in our prisons has more than doubled. We will extend early deportation of foreign national prisoners to reduce further the pressure on our prison population.

Many people feel that sentencing in Britain is dishonest and misleading. So we will introduce a system where the courts can specify minimum and maximum sentences for certain offenders. These prisoners will only be able to leave jail after their minimum sentence is served by having earned their release, not simply by right.

To ensure that we have adequate space to house offenders, our plans for renewal of the prison estate will increase capacity by 5,000 places above Labour’s plans. (Perhaps someone should remind Ken Clarke of this Manifesto item!).


We will scrap Labour’s disastrous policy of early release, and introduce honesty in sentencing. (And we'll replace it with an equally disasterous plan to halve prison sentences for guilty pleas instead!)


Offenders will receive minimum and maximum sentences; there will be no possibility of parole before the minimum has been served, and release before the maximum point will be conditional on the prisoner’s behaviour and progress in prison. (Which all seems somewhat meaningless if pleading guilty halves the sentence!).


The End of Custody Licence scheme is designed to make amends for Labour’s failure to build enough prison places. It led to more than 6,500 violent criminals being released back onto the streets – and at least 665 crimes have allegedly been committed by offenders who should have still been in jail.


Nick Herbert, (then) Shadow Secretary of State for Justice:


"Labour is giving criminals a break. They are releasing thousands of prisoners early and planning to water down sentences. We need punishment that fits the crime, enough prison places to hold all those sentenced by the courts, and a new focus on reforming offenders."
(Hmmm.... and exactly how is the halving of sentences any better?"


A Conservative Government will:


• Scrap the early release scheme and build emergency prison places
• Introduce honesty in sentencing so that convicted criminals serve a minimum sentence handed down to them by the judge
• Ensure sufficient prison capacity to hold all those sentenced by the courts – and reform prison regimes to break the cycle of re-offending
• Double the sentencing powers of magistrates to 12 months and repeal any new restrictions on their ability to hand down suspended sentences

Justice? What Justice is served by halving sentences?

Since the 15th century, Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and impartiality. By halving sentences, Lady Justice is forced to turn a blind eye to these basic principles, completely ignoring the popular views of the general public.


The public overwhelmingly supports tougher prison sentences for convicted criminals, a major poll has revealed. A report, commissioned by Lord Ashcroft, entitled ‘Crime, Punishment and the People’, is based on a poll of more than 2,000 members of the public, 1,000 victims of crime and 500 police officers.


More than eight out of ten of those surveyed said sentencing is too soft and seven in ten called for life in prison to be much harder for inmates.


In a major blow to Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, they also rejected proposals to increase the use of community sentences. Eight out of ten see these as a ‘soft punishment’.


Those polled were also dismissive of attempts to rehabilitate offenders – a centrepiece of Mr Clarke’s proposals.


Six in ten said efforts to turn criminals’ lives around ended up ‘making excuses’ for their crimes and failed to punish them properly.


Lord Ashcroft says: ‘Most people already think the justice system does a bad job at dealing with offenders and preventing reoffending, precisely because it places too little emphasis on punishment and deterrence. The justice system must command the confidence of the public on whose behalf, and at whose expense, it operates. Such confidence is already sparse. Politically, the Conservative Party has the most to lose. A firm approach to law and order has been one of the few consistently positive aspects of the Tory brand.


‘The Conservatives should not need to burnish their law and order credentials, they just need to deliver on them.’


The poll reveals widespread support for short prison sentences, while just one in five said community sentences were a good way to stop re-offending.


Two thirds said prison life should be made harder to deter criminals from committing further crimes. Eighty one per cent said sentencing was ‘too lenient’ while just 2 per cent said it was too harsh.


One anonymous contributor to a focus group, quoted in the report, said of prison life: ‘It’s really cushy. They have TVs in their rooms, PlayStations, a pool table, a big social room where they go and sit.


Worryingly, more than 40 per cent of victims who did not report their crime to the police said they thought no action would be taken.


More than a third said they thought the matter would be ‘too trivial’ for the police.


'For the lowlife who do the burgling and mug old ladies, life in prison is better than life outside'


Mr Clarke has promised a ‘rehabilitation revolution’ to turn offenders away from crime.


Asked whether prison works, just 42 per cent of those polled said that it did. But 69 per cent said the answer was to make life in jail harder.


The Independent had this to say:


Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke wants to keep prison for the most serious offenders and cut the number of jail terms under 12 months as part of a "rehabilitation revolution" which would result in thousands of offenders avoiding jail.


A report, by the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Governors' Association, said the experiences of prisoners and staff showed "the potential deterrent effect of serving a short prison sentence is lost" for repeat offenders.


Blair Gibbs, head of crime and justice at the Policy Exchange think-tank, said: "This flawed campaign to discredit short sentences ignores the views of magistrates and crime victims who know that short prison terms are sometimes the only option.


"Short prison sentences may not do enough to rehabilitate or even deter serial offenders but that is not a reason to scrap them.


"They do work to prevent crime and give communities some much-needed respite and they certainly work better than most community sentences where a third are not even completed.


"Courts need the option to use short sentences and the big problem that needs fixing is the weak and ineffective community sentences that do not protect the public or stop crime."


A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "All sentences must punish offenders effectively as well as address the causes of their offending. Prisons need to be places of hard work, not idleness, and both prison and non-custodial sentences need to do much more to address the serious underlying causes of crime such as drug addiction and mental health. The consultation on our proposals for achieving this has closed and we will be publishing our plans shortly."


What about your manifesto promises on crime Prime Minister?

 COMMENT


Mr Cameron, in your pre election manifesto, you promised to develop the prison estate and increase prison capacity by 5,000 yet Ken Clarke proposes to reduce capacity by 3,500 with his hair-brained ideas.


You promised to scrap the Labour early release scheme, yet here you are proposing a scheme that will deliver even worse consequences for our communities, releasing recidivist criminals back into our midst serving only a fraction of the sentences imposed.


You promised to introduce honesty in sentencing so that convicted criminals serve a minimum sentence handed down to them by the judge. Please explain how proposals to discount sentences for guilty pleas can possibly achieve this.


You criticised Labour for releasing thousands of prisoners early and watering down sentences. Nick Herbert said "We need punishment that fits the crime, enough prison places to hold all those sentenced by the courts". Where are those promises now??


Exactly how will releasing guilty pleading burglars, car thieves and violent offenders after serving only half their sentences support Theresa May and the police in their bid to reduce
crime?


Implementing these proposals will hammer a further nail in the coffin of British justice. Career criminals are already laughing at the system that protects them more than the victim. These proposals, if implemented, will turn that laughter into hysterics.


Judges and magistrates complain bitterly that they are hamstrung by sentencing guidelines that prevent them imposing sentences that adequately fit the crime. It has become a rarity to see minimum sentences dished out let alone maximum penalties that the voting public would advocate. Now you propose halving any sentences actually imposed, rendering our justic system a complete laughing stock in the eyes of the criminal fratenrnity.


Releasing thousands of offenders after having served only half a sentence send out completely the wrong signal - that crime pays after all. How can you justify the threat to police officers pay and conditions when you will knowingly be making their job to protect our communities that much more dfficult?  How can you justify the taxes we pay towards our policing and justice whilst simultaneously encouraging the doubtless non tax paying, benefit claiming, criminals in society to remain on their path of lawlessness?


If ever there was a barmy ill thought out idea that will surely damage our society, it is this one. 

UK IMMIGRATION 2010 - THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

In recent years the British people have been increasingly denied their democratic rights. On issue after issue, the views of the majority of British people have been ignored and overridden by politically correct elite with its own agenda. All this in a country that invented modern Parliamentary democracy.

On immigration, on capital punishment, on the surrender of British sovereignty to the EU and in numerous other areas, democracy has been eroded as politicians fail to offer the British people real choice on such vital issues.

We are owed that choice and we should restore and defend the basic democratic rights we have all been denied. More REAL democracy, not less, at national, regional and local levels is what is required.

Unchecked, mass immigration at the current level will mean that Britain will become a Third World nation well within two generations. All these facts point to the extinguishing of the British identity through immigration. Something must be done if the British people are to retain their homeland and identity.

We have compiled the facts about the scandal of UK immigration in our latest report. To view or download a copy, click here. This report should be read in conjunction with our previous report "The Disgraceful Truth of the Labour immigration Strategy" The latest report is also available in the "View Our Reports" sidebar on the right of this page.

The current unrestricted, uncontrolled immigration has led higher crime rates, demand for more housing, extra strain on the environment, traffic congestion, longer hospital waiting lists, lower educational standards, higher income tax, lower wages, high unemployment, a loss of British identity, a breakdown in community spirit, more restrictive policing, higher council taxes, a shortage of council homes, higher levels of stress and unhappiness and a fragmented community.

These are some of the consequences of uncontrolled immigration, a massive financial burden on the taxpayer that should be spend on UK solutions, a broken criminal justice system, prison overcrowding, a broken society with a rapidly eroding sense of national heritage and culture.

The problem of immigration has nothing to do with race, creed or culture.

It has everything to do with overcrowding and a politically motivated attempt by ministers to transform the fundamental make-up and identity of this country. The Government immigration strategy of ethnic cleansing was devised and implemented with the deliberate intention to destroy the right of the British people to live in a society defined by a common history, religion, law, language and traditions.

It was done to destroy what it means to be culturally British and to put another 'multicultural' identity in its place. And it was done without telling or asking the British people whether they wanted their country and their culture to be transformed in this way.

6 KEY FACTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION

• A migrant now arrives nearly every minute.

• We must build a new home every six minutes for new migrants.

• England is already the most crowded country in Europe (except Malta)

• Immigration will add 7 million to the population of England in the next 20 years – that is the equivalent of 7 cities with the population of Birmingham.

• To keep the population of the UK below 70 million, immigration must be reduced by 75%. Government measures so far may reduce it by 5%.

Source http://www.migrationwatchuk.org/

THE COST OF IMMIGRATION

According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, immigrants send home about £4 billion a year in remittances back to their home countries. When this is added to the previously estimated cost of immigration to Britain of £8.8 billion, the grand total of £12.8 billion is reached.

Immigration costs Britain £12.8 billion per year: 10 times the NHS Deficit and 40% more than the foreign aid budget.

WHERE ARE WE HEADING?

Given current demographic trends, we, the indigenous British people, will become an ethnic minority in our own country well within sixty years – and most likely sooner.

All the signs are there:

• 84% of all current UK citizenship applications are from the Third World
• 14%of all primary school children do not have English as a mother tongue
• 316 primary schools in England have a majority of children whose first language is not English
• Non-indigenous births will soon account for more than half of all the babies born in Britain
• Over the next twenty five years, immigration will account for 40% of all new households in this country
• 3.7 million legal migrants have entered this country since 1997 – and 2.5 million are from outside the EU
• At least 20% of the currently resident population was either born overseas or are descendants of foreign-born parents.

According to the House of Commons Hansard entry for March 7 2009, there were 27,525 new citizenship applications being processed by the UK Borders Agency.

23,062 are from Third World nations

• 1,715 were born in the UK, applying for UK citizenship, and their parents’ country of origin is not stated
• 269 of these applications are from people born inside the European Union1904 are from traditionally majority European countries which are outside the EU
• 361 applications are from South Africa, of which the majority is likely to be of European or British origin.

The breakdown of the countries of origin of these applicants is contained in the report.

SIR ANDREW GREEN of Migrationwatch on immigration comments:
"In the past 10 years we have seen a massive increase in immigration to the UK. Together with Holland, we are now the most crowded country in Europe, and the increase in our population is putting pressure on our primary schools, our maternity wards and our housing. The EU’s expansion to the east has brought around 500,000 extra people to the UK, but in the long term the issue will be with people arriving from the rest of the world — from Asia, Africa and the Far East. There are clearly some cultural and economic benefits from immigration, but there is no question that the failure of the government’s immigration policy over the past 10 years has played directly into the hands of right-wing extremists like the BNP, whose strongest card is the chaos of the immigration system and the way in which working-class areas are being changed beyond recognition. We are at a turning point, and it is for the main political parties to decide whether they are going to adopt serious immigration policies and take the sting out of the extremists or continue to hide away from the issue." June 1, 2009

IMMIGRATION AND CRIME

Take a look at the foreign nationals in our prisons:

Population in prison by nationality – 30th June 2009

• All nationalities 83,454
• British nationals 71,231 85%
• Foreign nationals 11,350 14%
• Not recorded 874 1%

The Foreign National Prison Population is represented by :

• Africa 2,897 3%
• Asia 2,456 3%
• America 302 0.36%
• N America 137 0.16%
• Europe 3,617 4%
• Middle East 595 1%
• Oceania* 52 0.06%
• W Indies 1,289 2%
• Other 5 0.01%

*(Australia, New Zealand, Fiji) (We have the numbers by individual country).

14% of our prison population is foreign nationals. The Prison Service states that each prisoner is housed at a tax payer cost of £30,000 per year. That is a staggering total of £340,500,000 per year.

If these foreign criminals were returned to their country of origin, this would solve the prison overcrowding problem, and empower our courts to impose correct sentences for UK offenders who, all too often get away with a judicial slap on the wrist. Issues associated with immigration add further massive burdens on our police and judicial system, not only in financial terms (including the many millions required to provide interpreter services), but also with regard to the additional crime committed by this sector of the community.

There are those that say (including certain diversity obsessed Chief Officers of Police), that crime has not risen disproportionately when measured against the population increase. HOGWASH! The fact remains, that these are additional crimes committed by visitors to this country, who abuse the hospitality and generosity extended to them. At the moment, the criminal fraternity, including the law breaking element of the foreign national community is laughing at the farce of British justice.

Immigration is way out of control. Britain’s population is now over 60 million and rising. Not only is Britain increasingly overcrowded, but a country is the product of its people, and if you change the people you inevitably change the nature of the country.

CORRELATION BETWEEN CRIME AND IMMIGRATION

When key criminal justice and immigration facts for England and Wales are compared alongside each other, the picture becomes clear. The net migration figure (the inflow less the outflow) has more than doubled in the last ten years.

Recorded crime has reduced, however as we have reported from these pages previously, in the article "Top Cops Are Fiddling The Crime Figures" recorded crime statistics can no longer be given any credence.

The increased prison population is a measure of the success of our front line police officers. The startling statistic, supporting our view that immigration has a major impact on crime, is the percentage of prisoners that are foreign nationals. This figure has stood at 14% for 5 years, having doubled since labour came to power, costing the taxpayer a staggering £1.7 Billion across the period.

Whilst not included in this report, we have compiled the recorded crime, police strength, population growth, prison population and foreign national and immigration statistics for the 12 years of Labour Government. The composite picture when all the statistics are viewed together is a sad indictment on how they have decimated the social fabric of our nation.

CONCLUDING COMMENT

The latest report contains the recommendations of Migration Watch and Balanced Migration, the two main apolitical organisations responsible for so much of the excellent information collated over recent years.

We want Britain returned to the way it has traditionally been. Britain always will have ethnic minorities and most have no problem with this as long as it does not change nor seek to change the fundamental culture and identity of the indigenous majority.

The current unrestricted, uncontrolled situation has contributed to higher crime rates, increased pressure on the police and criminal justice system, prison overcrowding, a demand for more housing, an extra strain on the environment, traffic congestion, longer hospital waiting lists, lower educational standards, higher income tax, lower wages, high unemployment, a loss of British identity, a breakdown in community spirit, more restrictive policing, higher council taxes, a shortage of council homes, higher levels of stress and unhappiness and a fragmented community.

A measure of immigration and cultural diversity is indeed good for a country. Sadly, the immigration strategy of the Labour Government had nothing to do with enhancing British culture and society by broadening the mix. It was implemented for perverse political reasons that risk the destruction of its defining character altogether.

Other countries would not tolerate millions of immigrants taking over their society and miminising the value of its tradition, heritage and culture. Japan would not do it; China would not do it; India would not do it; Pakistan would not do it – so why should Britain?

Each nation has the right to maintain its own traditional culture and identity. The right of India to remain Indian, the right of China to remain Chinese, the right of Pakistan to remain Pakistani and the right of Saudi Arabia to remain Saudi does not mean that any of these nations have to “hate” anybody else. All it means is that they wish to preserve their identity and national existence.

This is all we want for Britain – the right to be British and the right to openly celebrate events like Christmas that we have celebrated for centuries, without fearing the imaginary offence this might cause.

Is this such an extreme request? Is this so unreasonable? – NO! In fact, it is perfectly normal and completely in line with the rights granted to every other nation and in accord with international law.

Force or Farce? - Police Recorded Crime 2009

Accurate and trusted crime recording and statistics are essential, not only to underpin the legitimacy of policing, but also to enable the effective allocation of resources. Unnecessary bureaucracy is caused when systems for recording crime become inefficient or worse, manipulated for personal or political reasons. The recording of crime should not receive more attention than the subsequent investigation. Trusted and accurate crime statistics are a key component of building confidence in policing and the Criminal Justice System.
 
In this paper, the crime analysis team at Nice 1 Ltd, will highlight an area that causes anxiety among front
line police officers - the crime recording process. Having collated numerous operational examples of how forces are encouraged to minimize incident numbers reported, we set about identifying the areas where there is greatest potential for manipulation. To read the latest report click here. Alternatively click the Force or Farce link in the sidebar to the "View Our Reports".

In a previous report “Home Office Crime Statistics – Decreasing Crime By Fair Means Or Foul”, we dealt with the disparity that exists in the incident numbers between the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime. In that report, we commented that crime statistics could not be considered accurate or trusted, but were rather “a pernicious conspiracy to deceive” with the Government being ultimately responsible for a sham two tier crime measurement system. In creating a performance target driven Criminal Justice System, a tangled web of bureaucratic systems have been implemented within the police service, disguising the true picture of crime and defeating the ends of justice the system is meant to serve.

By targeting senior police officers to reduce crime and increase detections with lucrative monetary rewards, (senior officers receive 15% bonus on top of six figure salaries for hitting crime reduction targets), the Government is assisted in its plot by willing co-conspirators. Senior officers looking to progress further are encouraged to devise systems and procedures that perpetuate the illusion of reducing crime.

This report takes the enquiry further, by exploring the flaws that exist within the police recorded crime process. Both reports can be viewed in the View Our Reports sidebar.

NEWS UPDATE - SUNDAY 5TH DECEMBER 09

Supporting the evidence we have presented in this and prior postings, an article appears in the Telegraph today that will blow the lid off the police force tricks to fiddle crime figures. 

Read the article here  or paste this link into your browser http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6736505/Police-force-tricks-to-fiddle-crime-figures.html

We will report on this further shortly.

Comments or observations are welcome to enquiries@nice-1.co.uk

Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Ltd

CONSERVATIVE PROMISE - IN A NUTSHELL

Following on from the rousing Conservative party conference in Manchester last week, here, in a nutshell, are a selection of observations, quotes and pledges from the speeches of David Cameron and Chris Grayling on the plans they have to reform the Criminal Justice System. 

• Criminals aren't caught because the police are stuck at desks doing paperwork.
• Violent offenders, sex offenders and heroin dealers get off with cautions because it’s the least hassle.
• Even if they go to prison, the Government releases them automatically after a fraction of their sentence to reoffend on the same streets as before.
• People think our criminal justice system is broken.
• Worrying too much about the criminals and not enough about the justice.
• It makes me furious. It makes you furious. And law abiding, decent, people are asking - who’s looking after me?
• That’s why need radical reform in every part of the system. The police. The CPS. The courts. Prisons. Probation. We need to sort it out, so there's no more excuses, no more buck-passing, no more nonsense. We need a criminal justice system that is focused on fighting crime and that is exactly what we plan to deliver.
• No one thinks that the Government’s 24 hour drinking regime has led to the creation of a “continental café culture.
• We’re not talking about stopping people enjoying a few drinks in the pub. But things have gone far too far. Our town centres on a Friday and Saturday night can be battle zones for our police. Local parks and local estates are blighted by gangs of young troublemakers…. fuelled by alcohol given to them by irresponsible adults.
• I have talked to people up and down the country whose lives are being ruined by antisocial behaviour. It’s time we stood up for them.
• We’ll start with the problem of fourteen year olds hanging around with bottles of super-strength beers or ciders. It’s much too easy for them to get very drunk quickly and cheaply.
• We will increase the price of a four pack of super strength lager by £1.33. We will more than double tax on super strength cider. And our planned increase on alcopops will raise the price of a large bottle by £1.50. These tax changes will not hit responsible drinkers.
• We’ll tear up this Government’s lax licensing regime. Right now virtually anyone can get a licence to sell alcohol. We even have all night takeaways selling more drink to people as they stagger home from the pub. We will change that.
• We’ve also got to deal with those who commit the acts of antisocial behaviour and disorder as well. Right now they can offend again and again and just get away with it.
• Our criminal justice system is sending all the wrong messages. We need real punishments for young troublemakers. Not to send them home with a rap over the knuckles. That’s why we are working on a range of instant punishments for antisocial behaviour.
• Like grounding the offenders for up to a month. Or making them do community punishments, like cleaning up local parks. Real consequences for the trouble they’ve caused. But that’s for low level offences.
• For the more serious incidents, things must be different. We were all shocked by the tragic case of Fiona Pilkington. But let’s be clear. What happened to her wasn’t antisocial behaviour. It was criminal.
• Giving someone a caution or a fixed penalty notice means box ticked, case closed, another solved crime. But we know the system is being misused.
• But when serious offenders, like people carrying knives, also get off with a caution, when they should be behind bars.
• I think anyone who assaults a police officer should end up in court facing time behind bars.
• It’s time for a new deal with our police. We’ll deal with the things that frustrate them. We’ll get rid of the mountains of bureaucracy that make it easier to cut corners. We’ll provide them with proper protection against violence. We’ll get rid of the target culture that makes it easier to issue a caution than to prosecute. And we’ll give them back more power to charge criminals themselves.
• But in return we want real action against the troublemakers. And we want them to be more accountable to the communities they serve. The next Conservative Government will get rid of Britain’s caution culture. And will demand real moves to tackle antisocial behaviour. It’s time justice was really done on our streets.
• We will tear down Labour's big government bureaucracy, ripping up its timewasting, money-draining, responsibility-sapping nonsense.
• The police, the prosecution services, the prisons … is failing under the weight of big government targets and bureaucracy. The police aren't on the streets because they're busy complying with ten different inspection regimes.
• The police say the CPS isn't charging people because they have to hit targets to reduce the number of unsuccessful trials.
• And the prisons aren't rehabilitating offenders because they're focused on meeting thirty three different performance indicators.
• This all needs to change. I'm not going to stand here and promise you a country where nothing bad ever happens. I do not underestimate how difficult it will be to deal with this problem of crime and disorder.
• We cannot rebuild social responsibility from on high. But the least we can do the least we can do is pledge to all the people who are scared, who live their lives in fear and who can't protect themselves, that Chris Grayling, with Dominic Grieve, will reform the police, reform the courts, reform prisons.
• I see a country where you're not so afraid to walk home alone, where you're safe in the knowledge that right and wrong is restored to law and order.
• But if we pull together, come together, work together — we will get through this together.
• And when we look back we will say not that the government made it happen … not that the minister made it happen … but the businesswoman made it happen … the police officer made it happen … the father made it happen …the teacher made it happen.

You made it happen.

 

Right now it seems that the Conservatives are closest to the real issues and have the desire to bring about the reforms that are essential if we are to enjoy a more peaceful society. The message we would send out to whichever party is elected at the next election is this. Show us that you have learned from the lessons, mistakes and errors of judgement of the past. Waste no time on party policital spin, we've had a belly full of it. Ditch the blame culture once you have cleared the decks. Show us the truth about the state of the Criminal Justice System as it stands now, then waste no time on blame, show us with your actions that you are healing the wounds inflicted on this country over recent years. Then you will have our blessing, support and confidence. 
 
One last thing. There will be sectors of society waiting for you to trip up. Show us your guts and determination to succeed for us all. Don't give them the ammunition to shoot you. There will be those who will accuse you too, of having your noses buried deeply in the trough. Be aware of that. Act with transparency and honesty so that we will not feel our trust is misplaced.   
 
The Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Limited
 
 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE FARCE

A man has been charged with causing criminal damage to two hamburgers worth £5 after an alleged doorstep dispute with a fast food firm.

Stephen Morgan, 31, of South Wales, underwent a police grilling after he was arrested and taken from his home in handcuffs at the weekend.

He is due appear at Swansea Magistrates' Court, in south Wales, next Monday.

Morgan was at home in Culfor Road, Loughor, near Swansea, with partner Michelle Owen on Saturday evening.

The couple, who have two children, planned to stay in and watch ITV1's The X Factor with other family members.

A dispute is alleged to have started after an order of food with a local pizza parlour arrived minus two hamburgers.

Mr Morgan claims it was agreed the group should wait for the rest of the order, he told the South Wales Evening Post.

A dispute is alleged to have started with a delivery man who came to the house later, and £15 compensation was eventually paid out, he claims.

Police visited the address later that evening and arrested Mr Morgan on suspicion of robbery. He was taken to Swansea Central police station where he was questioned about the incident and held overnight.

A South Wales Police spokesman confirmed that a 31-year-old man was arrested on Saturday evening and has since been charged with causing criminal damage to food valued at £5.

COMMENT

Yet another example of the farcical abuse of the Criminal Justice System and complete and utter waste of police and judicial resources. C'mon Mr Johnson get it sorted for crying out loud!!! Ah well, at least the Home Office auditors will be pleased they got another detection.

David Cameron : We'll Put Britain Back On Her Feet

David Cameron today pledged to defend “family, community, country” as he set out his vision for “a responsible society” under the Conservatives.

Promising he had the character, temperament and judgment to lead Britain, he described “how good things could be” if Government was cut back to help “put Britain back on her feet”.

He started with "I want to get straight to the point.We all know how bad things are: massive debt, social breakdown, political disenchantment. But what I want to talk about today is how good things could be. Don't get me wrong, I have no illusions. If win this election, it is going to be tough. There will have to be cutbacks in public spending, and that will be painful. We will need to confront Britain's culture of irresponsibility and that will be hard to take for many people. And we will have to tear down Labour's big government bureaucracy, ripping up its time-wasting, money-draining, responsibility-sapping nonsense.


"Why is our society broken? Because government got too big, did too much and undermined responsibility.
Recognising that what holds society together is responsibility, and that the good society is a responsible society – that’s what I’m about, that’s what any government I lead will be about,” Mr Cameron told the Conservative party conference in Manchester.

On Law and Order . . . .

The instinct to protect the people we love is so strong. Nearly two years ago it was that instinct – that love – that drove Fiona Pilkington to do something desperate.


When I first read her story in the paper I found it difficult to finish the article – it's one of the saddest things I've ever read.

Fiona was so driven to despair by the vile thugs that bullied her and her lovely disabled daughter Francecca and by the police that didn't answer her cries for help that she could only see one way out. She put her daughter in her car, drove to a layby, and set it on fire.

If no one would protect them then by ending their lives, she was keeping them safe.

No one could hurt them anymore. Just think about what we allowed to happen here in our country. This goes deep and it's been going on for years.

It is about a breakdown of all the things that are meant to keep us safe … a complete breakdown of responsibility.

A breakdown of morality in the minds of those thugs a total absence of feeling or conscience. A breakdown in community where a neighbour is left to reach a pitch of utter misery. And a breakdown of our criminal justice system.

Every part of it, the police, the prosecution services, the prisons … is failing under the weight of big government targets and bureaucracy. The police aren't on the streets because they're busy complying with ten different inspection regimes. The police say the CPS isn't charging people because they have to hit targets to reduce the number of unsuccessful trials.

And the prisons aren't rehabilitating offenders because they're focused on meeting thirty-three different performance indicators.

This all needs to change. I'm not going to stand here and promise you a country where nothing bad ever happens. I do not underestimate how difficult it will be to deal with this problem of crime and disorder.

We cannot rebuild social responsibility from on high. But the least we can do the least we can do is pledge to all the people who are scared, who live their lives in fear and who can't protect themselves, that a Conservative government, with Chris Grayling, with Dominic Grieve, will reform the police, reform the courts, reform prisons. We will be there to protect you.


Why is our society broken? Because government got too big, did too much and undermined responsibility.


Why are our politics broken? Because government got too big, promised too much and pretended it had all the answers.

Of course it was done with the best intentions. And let's be clear: not everything Labour did was wrong.

Devolution; the minimum wage; civil partnerships, these are good things that we will we keep.

But this idea that for every problem there's a government solution for every issue an initiative, for every situation a czar …

It ends with them making you register with the government to help out your child's football team. With police officers punished for babysitting each other's children. With laws so bureaucratic and complicated even their own attorney general can't obey them.

To read the full speech transcript click here

Chris Grayling: A no-nonsense approach to crime and disorder

The shadow home secretary, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP spoke today at the Conservative Party conference. He oputlines some of the plans he would implement as Home Secretary in the event of the Conservative Party being elected to Government in the election next year.

Let me tell you a story about life in Britain today. About one of our soldiers in Afghanistan. He was home on leave In his local town centre on Saturday night. Out of the blue he was attacked and beaten by two drunk youths. The police were called. The two attackers were arrested.

And let off with a caution. Not tried. Not put behind bars. Not even given a community sentence. Just given a legal slap on the wrist.

Time and again the troublemakers just seem to get away with it. The gangs, the drunks, even those who commit acts of violence. They just get away with it.

Criminals aren't caught because the police are stuck at desks doing paperwork. Or because they aren’t listening to the communities they are supposed to protect.

Violent offenders, sex offenders and heroin dealers get off with cautions because it’s the least hassle option for police and the Crown Prosecution Service. And even if they go to prison, the Government releases them automatically after a fraction of their sentence to reoffend on the same streets as before.

People think our criminal justice system is broken.

Worrying too much about the criminals and not enough about the justice.

It makes me furious. It makes you furious. And law abiding, decent, people are asking - who’s looking after me?

Well, my message to them is that a Conservative Government will start looking after you.

That’s why need radical reform in every part of the system. The police. The CPS. The courts. Prisons. Probation. We need to sort it out, so there's no more excuses, no more buck-passing, no more nonsense. We need a criminal justice system that is focused on fighting crime and that is exactly what we plan to deliver.

But today I want to focus on the antisocial behaviour that blights so many of our communities. And the drunken disorder that so often causes it. No one thinks that the Government’s 24 hour drinking regime has led to the creation of a “continental café culture”.

We’re not talking about stopping people enjoying a few drinks in the pub. But things have gone far too far. Our town centres on a Friday and Saturday night can be battle zones for our police. Local parks and local estates are blighted by gangs of young troublemakers…. fuelled by alcohol given to them by irresponsible adults.

I have talked to people up and down the country whose lives are being ruined by antisocial behaviour. It’s time we stood up for them.

Last week in Brighton Ministers announced tweaks to the system so they could claim to be doing something about it. They aren’t. We will.

So let me tell you how we’re going to tackle binge drinking and antisocial behaviour.

We’ll start with the problem of fourteen year olds hanging around with bottles of super-strength beers or ciders. It’s much too easy for them to get very drunk quickly and cheaply.

So let me today give you more detail of our plan to introduce big increases in the tax on super strength alcohol.

We will increase the price of a four pack of super strength lager by £1.33. We will more than double tax on super strength cider. And our planned increase on alcopops will raise the price of a large bottle by £1.50. These tax changes will not hit responsible drinkers.

The ordinary pint in the pub will not be affected. and there’ll be exemptions for some local traditional products. But we’ll call time on the drinks that fuel antisocial behaviour.

Then there are supermarkets which boost the sales of other products by selling alcohol below cost price. That also fuels Britain’s binge drinking culture. So we will ban them from doing so.

We’ll tear up this Government’s lax licensing regime. Right now virtually anyone can get a licence to sell alcohol. We even have all night takeaways selling more drink to people as they stagger home from the pub. We will change that.

Local councils will have the power to stop town centres being taken over by pubs, clubs and off-licences. We’ll give communities a right of veto over new licences in their area.

There’ll also be tough new rules for existing licensed premises. Councils will be able to restrict opening hours. There’ll be strict penalties for pubs and off-licences that break the rules. Much bigger fines if they sell to under age drinkers. If they do it again, we’ll close them for a few days as a penalty. And if it still happens, we’ll strip them of their licence permanently.

There’s also the huge cost of policing areas that are already dominated by pubs and clubs and off-licences. Under a Conservative Government late night problem premises will pay more for their licence. So we can pay more for policing in our town centres to tackle the blight of antisocial behaviour after closing time.

I know some of those in the drinks industry will complain about the impact of these changes. But I think there are times when it’s right to put the interests of communities ahead of the interests of business.

We’ve also got to deal with those who commit the acts of antisocial behaviour and disorder as well. Right now they can offend again and again and just get away with it.

Our criminal justice system is sending all the wrong messages. We need real punishments for young troublemakers. Not to send them home with a rap over the knuckles. That’s why Dominic and I are working on a range of instant punishments for antisocial behaviour.

Like grounding the offenders for up to a month. Or making them do community punishments, like cleaning up local parks. Real consequences for the trouble they’ve caused. But that’s for low level offences.

For the more serious incidents, things must be different. We were all shocked by the tragic case of Fiona Pilkington. But let’s be clear. What happened to her wasn’t antisocial behaviour. It was criminal.

The people who did that to her should be behind bars.

There are too many serious offenders getting away with it. Our police are too inclined to take the easy option.

Giving someone a caution or a fixed penalty notice means box ticked, case closed, another solved crime. But we know the system is being misused.

Not just for the young men who attacked that soldier. Or the others who get violent on a Friday or Saturday night. But when serious offenders, like people carrying knives, also get off with a caution. When they should be behind bars.

And would you believe this. Last week I met the commanding officer of a local PCSO who had been assaulted by a gang member, and then thrown down a staircase. He was given an eighty pound fixed penalty notice. That is outrageous.

It is the sign of a system that is bust.

I think anyone who assaults a police officer should end up in court facing time behind bars.

Then there was the extraordinary claim by a senior police officer, at the inquest into the death of Fiona Pilkington, that the police are no longer responsible for antisocial behaviour. What complete nonsense. So it’s time for real change.

It’s time for a new deal with our police. We’ll deal with the things that frustrate them. We’ll get rid of the mountains of bureaucracy that make it easier to cut corners. We’ll provide them with proper protection against violence. We’ll get rid of the target culture that makes it easier to issue a caution than to prosecute. And we’ll give them back more power to charge criminals themselves.

But in return we want real action against the troublemakers. And we want them to be more accountable to the communities they serve. The next Conservative Government will get rid of Britain’s caution culture. And will demand real moves to tackle antisocial behaviour. It’s time justice was really done on our streets.

Ladies and Gentlemen. There are two other big priorities for a Conservative Home Office.

The first is our immigration system. For twelve years it has been a complete shambles. Uncontrolled immigration. Widespread abuse of our student visa system. Human traffickers exploiting the vulnerable for profit. So let me make things clear today.

A Conservative government will be robust in the way it controls immigration. There will be no open door to Britain. Instead we will have a system that treats people fairly and decently. That welcomes those who should be able to come and live here. Like the Gurkhas who have done so much for our country.

But we’ll close the gaping hole in our student visa system. We’ll crack down on the traffickers. Britain will have its own, specialist border police force. We will set an annual cap on the number of people who can come and live and work here. I will not tolerate more of the chaos of the past few years.

The Home Office has another key responsibility. The security of our people and of our nation. To take the lead in the battle against terrorism. And the fight against an ideology of hate and violence. An ideology that damages the reputation of decent, law abiding British Muslims as well as threatening life and limb. And let’s be clear. That ideology wants to destroy the civil liberties that make this country what it is. No Government should allow them to do so, and the way this Government has eroded those liberties is shameful and must be reversed.

Our police and security services have done a magnificent job in protecting us against the terrorist threat. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. But we are still not tough enough on those who spread a doctrine of hate in Britain. So I will immediately ban Hiz b’ut Tahrir, and any other group that actively incites hatred and violence.

We also have extremists using video links to hold meetings with banned preachers of hate from overseas who urge violence against our society. If I am Home Secretary the people who organise those meetings will be arrested and prosecuted. Under this Government the extremists have been free to protest on our streets and incite violence and hatred in the most blatant ways.

We cannot and we will not allow this to continue.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

What people want from the Home Office is a no-nonsense approach to the crime and disorder problems in their communities. They understand that those problems are complex.

That we need to get to grips with the social problems that foster crime …. ….as well as with the crime and antisocial behaviour itself. But right now they are hugely frustrated.

They feel let down by the police. They feel let down by the courts. They feel let down by the Government.

Above all they believe that under Labour those who commit crime and antisocial behaviour are just getting away with it.

They’re right.

They are.

And if we win, it will stop.

HAGUE WARNS AGAINST TORY COMPLACENCY

William Hague delivered a powerful first day speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester today.

To download the full speech click here.

Mr Hague said Labour would run a "wholly negative" campaign characterised by smears and playing on people's fears.

He told the Conservative Party conference that if Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, won the election "the last traces of hope and optimism and confidence about our national future would drain away".

Despite the opinion poll leads and local election successes, senior Conservatives have been careful to avoid sounding as if the general election was already won.

Mr Hague, effectively the Tories' deputy leader, said: "Whatever our successes and however much the country cries out for change, we must never allow one morsel of complacency to creep in to our campaign.

"We must be conscious that the system is stacked against us - that Labour only have to draw to win a majority in the House of Commons but we have to win by some two million votes to do the same.

"We must be conscious too that this election, as we saw in Brighton last week, will bring forth from Gordon Brown's Labour a wholly negative campaign - barricaded in the Downing Street bunker they will fling any dirt, stoke any fear, spread any smear and peddle any distortion to scare people into thinking that change is dangerous, honesty frightening, and the fresh air of new leadership actually poisonous for the people of Britain.

"This campaign will have ups and downs, it will have moments of difficulty, when we will need to keep our nerve, calm our friends, and make sure that we always march in step towards the goal of a better government for our country."

After the Prime Minister's conference speech last week, in which he reeled off a list of Labour's achievements, Mr Hague gave his own version detailing the Government's failures on public finances, crime and health.

He mocked Mr Brown over the "goats" that joined - and subsequently left - the Government of All the Talents.

"The arrival of a string of ministers from outside politics - Lord Malloch-Brown, Lord Darzi, Lord Digby Jones, was hailed by Gordon Brown as showing it was a Government of All the Talents.

"It turned out they were so talented that after working with him for a short time they left, and so we now have a Government of All the Talents with all the talents taken out of it."

Mr Brown and his Government "do not possess the quality of honesty, directness, decision-making and leadership necessary to make this country great and successful again".

Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, who Mr Hague said had given "new meaning to the word chumps", was singled out during an attack on the Government's lack of accountability.

"The Prime Minister nobody ever elected has been kept in office by a deputy nobody in the country had voted for at all, making up a Government with the least moral or democratic authority to govern in our lifetime."

COMMENT

Very persuasive Mr Hague. The fear the British public will have is how long the commitment to transparency and honesty will last once in office. The country will be looking for the next Government to prove by their actions that they will deliver on their plan. We have read the Conservative Plan for Social Reform (see links opposite & previous posts). The proposals for change will be challenging and require a courageous and committed team to implement them.

The priciples are sound. Should the Conservatives be successful at election time, we only hope that they will not provide the opposition and the public with the same ammunition for doubt, suspicion and ridicule that Mr
Brown and co have evidenced diring their rule.

We look forward to Chris Graylings' speech on Law & Order at 11.15am on Wednesday 7th October. We hope to see that Messrs Cameron & Grayling have a firm grasp of what is needed to fix the broken Criminal Justice System in this country and evidence that they will deliver the transparent and honest solutions so badly needed.

Over the coming weeks and months, where gaps in the Law & Order strategy seem evident, reports and communications will be posted directly to Mr Grayling from this site.

To see the full agenda for the Conservative Conference click here

The Crime Analysis Team

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CAN DAVID CAMERON SAVE BRITAIN?

Next week sees the Conservative party conference rolls into Manchester. David Cameron promises they won't be playing it safe - instead they will be offering bold plans to deal with the big problems the country faces.

Labour spent their conference talking only to themselves - not the country.

In contrast, Mr Cameron says, you will see a Conservative Party united, determined and ready to deliver the bold, tough and radical change Britain needs.

Labour are now the party of unemployment - at this conference we are promised the tories will show that are the party of new jobs and new opportunities.

To deal with Labour's Debt Crisis the Conservatives will be setting out some of the tough decisions that need to be taken. They promise that unlike Gordon Brown they won't duck them.

To give people hope for the future the country needs to change direction, and the Conservative Conference must show how they are ready to make that change. There is absolutely no room for complacency.

DAVID Cameron pledges he will put the Great back into Britain.

He vows to deliver a better place to live if he becomes Prime Minister. He says he will put common sense back into everyday life and end Labour's days of political correctness.

"The Conservative Party did need to change. We weren't paying enough attention to the big issues of the future. I hope readers will come to us as an alternative to a government that they are fed up with.There are a series of things the Conservatives will do that readers would welcome after the 12 years we have had. These things will make Britain a better place to live."

He unveiled ten pledges aimed at achieving his dreams.

• He vows to freeze council tax
• Reassess Incapacity Benefit for 2.6million people to get loafers back to work
• Replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights.
• The number of MPs would be axed & Ministers' pay will be cut
• A Military Covenant with troops would be honoured to ensure they are properly equipped.
• Corporation Tax would also be axed
• National debt and public spending tackled
• Interest rates kept low to boost investment.
• Discipline would be restored at schools
• Magistrates would get more powers

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron today also pledges to turn Britain into a world-beater in time for the 2012 London Olympics. He wants to repair Broken Britain and turn it into a beacon for industrial strength, national confidence and strong society for the world to see.

Central to his plan would be to make JOBS his number one priority if he is made Premier. Mr Cameron says: "I'd like people to come here for the Olympics in 2012... but we also want to show a country which is getting back on its feet."

He adds: "We have to start with that appalling scourge of unemployment. We're now facing a situation where we have one in five young people out of work. We're getting back towards that terrible number of three million unemployed."

Mr Cameron pledged "big, bold and radical plans" to get people back to work. He says: "I understand, if you leave people unemployed, and short term unemployment becomes long term, then it becomes a lifetime of unemployment. It's a waste of a life. I must stop it happening."

He also vows to be "straight" with people about the deficit - "the most difficult issue facing the party". Mr Cameron says: "We are going to confront it. Gordon Brown completely failed to do this. You cannot deal with it just by cutting waste. This is going to require a great national effort.

"The people will have to come together under strong national leadership and come out the other side with a strong economy and we will be living within our means and we can start getting peoples' taxes down again.

The Tory chief also warns that the Conservatives are not going to sit back and take an election victory for granted. He says: "We will not sit back on our laurels. We want to earn the trust of the British people."

WHAT OF THE POLICE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS?

David Cameron and Chris Grayling, (the next Home Secretary if the Conservatives gain power),  have set out their blueprint for reforming the Police & Criminal Justice System. We have captured the essence of their proposals in a summary document. To see what they plan to implement, click here to download the summary.

To download a copy of the Conservative Plan For Social Reform click here. Both of these documents will remain avaiable from links on the right side of this site.

So, returning to the question "Can David Cameron save Britain?" - well that remains to be seen. If his words back up his actions, and his promises of tough and radical changes are delivered, he faces the prospect of a Thatcher like unpopularity amongst sections of the community. This country needs someone who will not falter in the face of unpopular decisions. It needs someone who will meet them head on and take the course that is right for the masses.

Max Hastings of the Daily Mail asks if Mr Cameron is ruthless enough to do what is necessary. His article sums it up well. Click here to see it.

Crime Analysis Team

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THE FARCE OF UK CRIMINAL JUSTICE

When a 17 year old teenager threw stones at the window of a disabled pensioner, Renate Bowling, 71, confronted the 17-year-old youth in the street. She bravely went out to remonstrate with him. During the conversation the frail widow, who fled to Britain from Communist East Germany and walks with a steel frame, prodded the youth in the chest with her finger.

She told him what she thought of him. He called her "some ****ing German woman".


Police officers were called to the quiet residential street and the teenager told them he had been assaulted.


'Then the police arrested me - I thought "What a joke. What is going on?"


'That lad had held my wrists and bruised them and he had the gall to call it self-defence.

'The police put me in the back of their van like a sack of spuds and took me to the station where they questioned me. Then a few days later I was told I was being prosecuted. I could not believe it, neither could my family.

'I had to borrow £20 from a friend to pay the court costs as I only had £30 on me. It has all been a nightmare

To read the full Daily mail story click here

COMMENT

This story exemplifies what a complete farce the Criminal Justice System has become.

That a system has become so perverse that common sense could not prevail is beyond belief. The sad fact is that the majority of common sense coppers in the UK agree with how ridiculously commonplace such incidents are.

Inspector Gadget, Copperfield, Ellie Bloggs, 200 and other police bloggers and authors have been trying to raise public awareness about the mid boggling utter stupidity of the crime reporting system for a few years now.

Hunting detections to improve crime figures is slowly but surely eroding the confidence of natural police supporters. Ordinary people who make up the bulk of the British population are being criminalised in ways like that of Renate Bowling, all in the crazy pursuit of ticked boxes and meeting targets. The common sense police response would be to exercise descretion, rap the youth on the knuckles for his behaviour and advise Mrs Bowling. The mad system that has evolved however does not allow for discretion. Once the matter is reported, (the assualt in this case) it is logged on computer as a crime. The case cannot be resolved and "detected" until the accused accepts responsibility. The officers are not permitted to show discretion and walk away, they are forced by the system to follow it through. Teams of audit officers scrutinise and follow up on such cases until the detection box is ticked.

In this case, as with many thousands of others concealed within Home Office figures, the price paid for the detection was way out of proportion with common sense policing. The result is one criminalised disabled grandmother who has lost all confidence and support for the police. Consider further the many hours consumed by officers taking statements and processing the matter for the CPS. Whilst police officers are tied up with enquiries like this that only serve to diminish confidence in the service, they are not available to respond to other more serious and needy cases. Little wonder police morale is at its lowest ebb, when the very system they are forced to implement prevents them doing the really important jobs as effectively as they would want.

The example is one of thousands where the CPS then exacurbate the situation by pursuing the case, safe in the knowledge they have another detection secured. Why oh why, could common sense not have prevailed and the decision made to take no further action? If the responsibility and decsion to charge was returned back to the custody sergeant, common sense might well have prevailed, and Mrs Bowling may have been saved the indignity of a court appearance and a black mark against her otherwise good name.

Police Officers and CPS are being strangled by Government directions and performance targets to detect at any cost. All so that the Government can feed the public more statistical spin about how crime has reduced since they came to power. 

A consequence of the true public perception is that less than 50% of crimes are reported. The public have lost confidence that the police will be able to do anything, or worse, as in this case, as the real victim, you are more likely to face prosecution than the yob. We no longer have an accurate grip on what is real and manufactured concerning crime in the UK. On that basis, how can any Government accurately forecast the financial and human resourcing for a given area?

The system doesn't legislate or care, it got its detection and that's all that matters.

Politicians take note . . . .  This needs addressing SOON.

The Crime Analysis Team
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