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Police numbers - who believes What TM say?

(57 Posts)
crystaltipps Tue 05-Mar-19 07:04:05

Does anyone really believe there is no link between the cut in police numbers and the rise in crime? This is what is known as a negative correlation, but perhaps our esteemed former Home Secretary hasn’t heard of that. By that logic we might as well have no police at all. She also no doubt denies the link between austerity and rise in crime. Surely cuts in youth services, support for struggling families, also contribute? Shouldn’t we be trying to prevent increase in crime not just respond to it? I’m sure we’ve all got stories where the police haven’t responded to reports of car crime or burglary, because they are so overstretched. We should be campaigning to restore and increase police numbers overall.

tanith Tue 05-Mar-19 07:08:14

She’s just not living in the same World as the rest of us, it’s not rocket science is it? Fewer police officers lead to more crime I know that’s a very simplified view but it makes perfect sense to me.

MaizieD Tue 05-Mar-19 07:51:00

The first thing you have to realise, crystaltipps is that this country is being 'led' by a woman who is completely insane. Then everything falls into place.

LullyDully Tue 05-Mar-19 07:51:30

Community police,who are known to the population must be important whatever TH says

It does concern me that we wait for a scouting, white, six former to die before outrage is shown by everyone.. So many stabbing of the young is such a disgrace. It has to be linked to Police numbers, along with lack of services and resources ,due to cuts. We can not go on wasting lives like this.

We all realise.that organised crime is at the heart of this but this needs tackling before the streets become no go areas, particularly for young people.

gillybob Tue 05-Mar-19 07:56:06

I’m not sure more police would have made any difference to the senseless murder of this young girl . They cannot be on every street corner in every town, village and city “ just looking for nutters with knives”.

Anja Tue 05-Mar-19 08:09:04

Of course this is as a result of her cuts. It’s not just a case of being on ‘every street’. Because of cuts and lack of officers, criminals and youngsters are know said to be confident there is little likelihood of ever encountering a police presence anywhere. They can go out carrying and intent on causing trouble with almost guaranteed immunity.

Statistics are showing a direct correlation between falling numbers of police and a rise in all violent crimes. As one graph falls the other rises in direct proportion.

Anja Tue 05-Mar-19 08:13:31

PS re believing this woman...I don’t see how anyone can if they pass her words through a reality checker. She just opens her mouth and all this rubbish gushes out. She doesn’t even sound convincing.

gillybob Tue 05-Mar-19 08:14:12

I think it goes deeper than just lack of police numbers though. If/ When these people do get caught what happens to them ? Are they locked away for a long time ? Or do they get a telling off? ( poor lads are from deprived backgrounds etc) . If the law came down very hard on even the carrying of knives then maybe lessons could be learned . Since when did it become acceptable to be part of a violent gang ? To walk the streets carrying knives ?

Must dash .

Luckygirl Tue 05-Mar-19 08:29:23

Assuming causal (and indeed non-causal) relationships is invalid without proper evidence. She is pronouncing that the rise in crime is unrelated to the fall in police numbers - where is her evidence? Yet another example of TM pronouncing via an organ other than her mouth.

Riverwalk Tue 05-Mar-19 08:31:47

Of course police numbers matter, or any staffing numbers for that matter, otherwise why do governments trumpet any increases in this and that, when it suits them?

There can't be police officers on every corner but surely if there were more to be seen out and about it would have an affect on street crime in general.

Anniebach Tue 05-Mar-19 08:32:43

I don’t think it’s as simple as putting more police on the streets, society has broken down, many families are broken,

Police can’t stop and search youngsters to check if they are carrying knives, if they did there would be outrage and accusations of racism. And parents would have to be informed their child was to be searched .

crystaltipps Tue 05-Mar-19 09:25:12

So we need to put more effort in reinstating those services which have been cut - youth services, supporting deprived families etc. No, police can’t be everywhere but when we had more officers and pcso s they did go round patrolling places where kids hung out parks and so on. Now you never see them.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 05-Mar-19 09:52:24

Bring back stop and search.
Unfortunately the elephant in the room is that the majority of these crimes are “black on black”.

There seems to be a deep hatred and resentment by a section of society against the authorities, whether it be police, school or even firefighters and ambulance personnel who are being repeatedly attacked.

Police have never been on every street corner, policing has changed over the years, I have 3 friends with AC who are serving Police Officers. There is no respect for them and their hands are tied by red tape and political correctness.

This problem starts with bullying at school and escalates outside the gates. Together with the “county lines” drug gangs recruiting boys sometimes primary age.

What are the parents doing, where is the discipline at home and the respect for the basics of human life?

This is far more than “Bobbies on the Beat”

tanith Tue 05-Mar-19 09:55:13

Anniebach no one is saying it would solve the problem, as others have said cut backs in support services have also contributed but it seems common sense that if police and pcso’s were more visible on the streets it would deter youngsters and maybe catch more criminals.

Jalima1108 Tue 05-Mar-19 10:08:00

In 2014 Theresa May, then Home Secretary, drastically scaled back 'stop and search'
In April Mrs May said use of stop and search had become an “unacceptable affront to justice” after Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary found that 27 per cent of searches did not contain reasonable grounds for suspicion.
That does mean that 77% did contain reasonable grounds for suspicion.

Lord Hogan-Howe did, I think, recommend a co-ordinated approach to this as there does not seem to be one at the moment.

We do need to increase police numbers and other support services before this escalates even further and more families are left bereaved.
Surely it's just common sense?

Jalima1108 Tue 05-Mar-19 10:08:59

sorry - 73% before anyone picks me up on my maths blush

Anniebach Tue 05-Mar-19 10:11:28

tanith I really don’t think it would reduce the number of knife carriers . Those who carry knives don’t walk around the streets brandishing knives. Police cannot stop and search every youngster they see. How many police would be needed to walk every street, every park, every alleyway 24 hours a day? And throughout the country ?

Not forgetting many youngsters have no respect for the police, they may see knife carrying as a challenge to authority and enjoy the thrill

GrannyGravy13 Tue 05-Mar-19 10:12:47

Anniebach totally agree

MawBroon Tue 05-Mar-19 10:18:25

I think the absence of a police presence can not be swept under the carpet where street crime is concerned.
It is not just their absence but also the reduction of police numbers is aggravated by the increasing pressure our police are under dealing with other paperwork (suspected non PC tweets for instance)
But along with reduced police numbers, withdrawn services such as Surestart, and youth initiatives are all madness in an increasingly fragmented society such as the one we live in.
The underlying causes of gang culture need to be addressed and cuts all round are not the way to go.

MawBroon Tue 05-Mar-19 10:19:25

I think I missed out a “which is ...”

Jalima1108 Tue 05-Mar-19 10:20:48

The underlying causes of gang culture need to be addressed and cuts all round are not the way to go
I agree MawBroon and many of the incidents of knife crime seem to be gang and probably drug-related. More police are needed to crack these gangs.

However, some are not and the latest incidents seem to have no reason whatsoever.

Anniebach Tue 05-Mar-19 10:23:43

Seems the cause is lack of police, lack of social workers, lack of probation officers, lack of mental health services, no mention of families , surely it is in families children are taught ‘right and wrong’.

gillybob Tue 05-Mar-19 10:34:23

Totally agree Anniebach . We can’t just keep blaming lack of resources for what seems to be ( for some) the breakdown of family life . Parents who are either no longer around or don’t give a damned what their son is doing out at night (as long as it isn’t bothering them) or they are so out of control there is little they could do anyway . There seems to be a culture of complete disrespect for parents, teachers and anyone in authority .

GrannyGravy13 Tue 05-Mar-19 10:40:19

Family is where everything stems from. Ideally our young people should be brought up with values, discipline and respect for others.

Unfortunately this is not always the case, there are youngsters getting pregnant in early teens with no support from their families and no role models. There are family breakdowns and it is normally the women left to raise the children.

These young predominantly black teenagers turn to gangs as an alternative to extended family. They make them feel part of a collective of like minded “brothers”.

It is more entrenched than cutting surestart and youth clubs, which are seen as “establishment” and interfering by some.

If they are poor the lure of “easy money” from running county lines supplying drugs must be a temptation, a way out of poverty.

It has taken a white girl to be killed for society to wake up!!

trisher Tue 05-Mar-19 11:14:17

That is so true GG13. It is amazing how much publicity has surrounded this girl's death and yet we continue to insist we are not a racist society.
As far as TM is concerned I have just listened to a Home Office spokesperson saying that Cressida Dick did not contradict TM's statement because TM said their was no "direct" link and CD said there was "some" link. Talk about splitting hairs!
The situation with the police is appaling but it will only be properly resolved when crimes begin to impact on middle class families, as long as it is poor black young people suffering no one will do anything.