LibUK Articles
What are the police for? |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Dec 04 2007 at 7:25 AM |
The police have lost the battle. The Government can whitter all it likes about rising or falling statistics, but the fact is the police have given up. Let's look at the statistics. The police are generally well regarded by the public who generally clamour for "more police on the beat". The statistics for victims and witnesses of crime, however tells a different story. It is in positive territory - 57% satisfied, but only just. But in my experience, the police abuse their good will and blame their failures on the CPS, lawyers and the human rights act. Most people don't like lawyers and accept this, at face value.
Is this satisfaction justified?
In my area, just 10.2% of Burglaries are "detected". For thefts from the person just 4.3% are, though I accept the figures for more serious crime are better: 45% of "more Serious" violent crimes against the person are detected. Less serious violence (and this can be really trivial - a shove for example) is the one of only a handful of statistics on the table where there is a detection rate of over 50%.
Is there any point, in these circumstances in calling the police? These are a self-selecting sample of people who are either insured- you need a crime reference number to make a claim, or members of the public who think in their case there's a reasonable chance of a result. In reality, the figures for the number of thefts cleared up is statistically close to zero.
So what do the police do? Well they appear to spend an inordinate amount of time filling in forms, and achieving "Diversity"targets. Indeed the number of black and brown faces underneath the breast-shaped lid seems more important to the management of the police than burglary detection rates that would shame, well, any country. This is a direct result of a management culture which has politicised the police force. As a result of the total abrogation of responsibility for solving crime, fear of crime has never been higher. The police are wedded to their cars, and focused on the easy collar rather than doing a good job for those who really need it - serving the tractor production target rather than the people they serve.
The attitude of the police is that you're a potential perp, and they'll get you if they can. Usually for motoring offences. Look at the alacrity with which people who drive with their mobile phones are prosecuted. Or eat at the wheel, or flick the bird at a speed camera. Or have a toy gun...
So if you're in the section of society which shoulders the burden of tax - you're also more likely to be caught speeding, be the victim of crime and report it, and to have that crime undetected. You are also more likely to suffer penalties if you do step out of line. The police find it easier to prosecute someone who has a job and a mortgage - there are more levers that can be pulled.
An unemployed person in "social" housing who commits a crime can ignore court summonses - there's no better than evens chance the police will send anyone round to re-arrest. Any fines levied will not be paid, after all, is he going to lose his house? And a spell in gaol is by no means the punishment it is to someone who has a job and house to lose. Compare to what the press sneeringly call the middle class who commits a smallish crime (d&d, maybe affray outside a pub for example) As soon as the coppers know who you are, they can contact you. You will turn up to court, and any fines levied will be paid. You will co-operate, because you will fear for your job, and you will pay your fines because a CCJ will render your mortgage unaffordable. Thus the police, seeing the middle class stepping out of line are more likely to follow up - we're an easier, more co-operative collar.
We pay for the system, and we are not protected, endure a greater likelihood of prosecution for a given crime and get taxed with the bi-annual speeding ticket and the semi-annual parking fine.
Why?
Law. There are too many laws. So much voluntary interaction is criminalised unnecessarily, that the police do not focus on burglary and robbery. Why, when you get the same sanction/detection for arrests while enforcing the smoking ban or licensing hours as you do for doing some police work around a theft? We need to urge that incoming Conservative government to repeal much of Nu-Labour's bansturbation.
Targets. The police are policing to the target, and from the latest wheeze from Whitehall. What is needed is a police force embedded into the community and answerable to it. I imagine that they will have different priorities. Locally elected sheriffs is as good a reason to vote conservative as any - this will go a long way to mending the broken covenant.
I think that is the best a Libertarian can hope for.