Operation Targeting London Youth Crime results in 780 arrests

Former Member

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7271162.stm

Something of a London-centric story but saw this on the Beeb; apparently there was a 50% reduction in gun crime and a 26% reduction in knife crime during this period compared with 2007.

What do people make of this, in particular interested to hear from our London based friends.

Former Member

Shock horror, Police target known criminals and find evidence...

Former Member

yeh exactly my mates in the police, it was a case of going to known hotspots of actual crimes and catching people in the acts of minor violence etc

it wasn't that broad a thing actually, and it's quite good, it's called intelligence led policing with a plan, which isn't just to annoy every non rich-male under 23

Former Member

The thing is, you don't know who to believe any more, but according to some official figures I saw recently (don't ask me to find them because I couldn't if you paid me a million quid) most types of crimes are actually down, and have been for a while.

Yet if you asked people most would say things are worse than ever and it's all out of control. Hell, even though not from personal experience I'd be tempted to say things are really bad based on media reports.

I certainly live fairly near one of the most notorious areas in the land (Brixton) but can confidently say I've never had any problems on the streets.

Sorry for slight derail.

Former Member

The economist printed a funny graph showing a decreasing trend in violent, petty, theft crime etc and a rapidly increasing trend of the media reporting incidents of crime.

Former Member

Aladdin, most crimes are down. However "violent" crime is up. However a "violent" crime is recorded whenever someone is arrested/dealt with for;
Drunk and disorderly
Posession of an Off-weap
Section 5 POA
Breach of the peace

all of which are discovered by a police officer who isn't normally adversely affected by these things. But it still bumps the figures up.

Former Member

Aladdin wrote: »

The thing is, you don't know who to believe any more

Probably the official figures, to be honest, although they're massaged downwards its nothing like the sexing up of crime the tabloids love to indulge in.

A lot of crime is down, especially thefts from cars and houses, because the cost of electrical equipment is so low now there's no point burgling anymore. You'd get a tenner tops for a telly, which won't buy very much smack.

Teh_Gerbil

Man Of Kent wrote: »

Shock horror, Police target known criminals and find evidence...

lol. well put.

Former Member

Kermit wrote: »

Probably the official figures, to be honest, although they're massaged downwards its nothing like the sexing up of crime the tabloids love to indulge in.

A lot of crime is down, especially thefts from cars and houses, because the cost of electrical equipment is so low now there's no point burgling anymore. You'd get a tenner tops for a telly, which won't buy very much smack.

Car and house crime is also down cos radios are now part of the car and houses are very difficult to break into these days ...even double glazing deters a burglar ...it is also harder to shoplift cos of cameras ...it is safer to mug someone nowadays with a hood on and run. hence the rise in violenct crime.

Former Member

morrocan roll wrote: »

Car and house crime is also down cos radios are now part of the car and houses are very difficult to break into these days ...even double glazing deters a burglar ...it is also harder to shoplift cos of cameras ...it is safer to mug someone nowadays with a hood on and run. hence the rise in violenct crime.

Unfortunately these aren't the reasons. Examples,

Cars:A few months ago I did an exercise with some reporters who wanted to see why car crime was so high. I went out with them for an hour whilst they "stole" property from cars. In an hour they got £30,000 worth of property, the bulk of which was from 2 cars that people had left their keys in the ignition.

Houses:You'd be amazed the numbers of people who leave doors unlocked when they go out, or leave car keys lying in plain sight whilst they're in the back garden, or who make it obvious they're on holiday. Double glazing does little to deter a thief, older style double glazing is a piece of piss to get past with little more than a chisel. If you want to deter a burglar, buy an alarm and get extra locks put on your windows. (Burglars HATE smashing glass).

Mugging:Thieves will only rob as a last resort, minimum sentences are a bitch. Why get 5 years for holding someone at knifepoint when you can snatch someones handbag and get a few months???


The main point is, crime isn't down because of people's security. Most people are idiots when it comes to securing their property. They leave laptops in their cars, expensive tools in their vans and they blame the police for allowing it to happen.

Former Member

Whowhere wrote: »

Unfortunately these aren't the reasons. Examples,

Cars:A few months ago I did an exercise with some reporters who wanted to see why car crime was so high. I went out with them for an hour whilst they "stole" property from cars. In an hour they got £30,000 worth of property, the bulk of which was from 2 cars that people had left their keys in the ignition.

Houses:You'd be amazed the numbers of people who leave doors unlocked when they go out, or leave car keys lying in plain sight whilst they're in the back garden, or who make it obvious they're on holiday. Double glazing does little to deter a thief, older style double glazing is a piece of piss to get past with little more than a chisel. If you want to deter a burglar, buy an alarm and get extra locks put on your windows. (Burglars HATE smashing glass).

Mugging:Thieves will only rob as a last resort, minimum sentences are a bitch. Why get 5 years for holding someone at knifepoint when you can snatch someones handbag and get a few months???


The main point is, crime isn't down because of people's security. Most people are idiots when it comes to securing their property. They leave laptops in their cars, expensive tools in their vans and they blame the police for allowing it to happen.

car crime is low.
Modern ..double glazing deters thieves ...plus security bolts and obviously alarms ...burglary is down.
who said anything about knives ...snatching a handbag or mobile is mugging as far as i'm concerned.

Former Member

Whowhere wrote: »

Unfortunately these aren't the reasons. Examples,
Most people are idiots when it comes to securing their property. They leave laptops in their cars, expensive tools in their vans

agreed... and then they wonder why it happened to them?!!

wheresmyplacebo wrote:

it's called intelligence led policing with a plan

and is a good example of the public and police working together to cut crime. though figures, stats, and meeting targets arn't the be all and end all to policing even if figures are pumped out of lowered crime rates.

Former Member

morrocan roll wrote: »

car crime is low.
Modern ..double glazing deters thieves ...plus security bolts and obviously alarms ...burglary is down.
who said anything about knives ...snatching a handbag or mobile is mugging as far as i'm concerned.

I don't disagree with you, it's lower than it's ever been. It's not because of security or people's awareness.

And snatching a handbag off a table or from a hand isn't robbery, hence a lower sentence for it.
If you steal with a weapon/violence/threat of violence, it is robbery.

Former Member

Whowhere wrote: »

And snatching a handbag off a table or from a hand

... is theft

Former Member

Its interesting to note that many crimes are down by about the same amount as the price of hard drugs has dropped.