tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post7983602321625063968..comments2023-12-23T09:28:20.869+00:00Comments on The View from Cullingworth: It seems it's now policy not to make arrests (or a clip round the ear)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-44510251191693851292018-11-28T13:07:06.515+00:002018-11-28T13:07:06.515+00:00It certainly doesn't appear to the majority of...<em>It certainly doesn't appear to the majority of folk that the police are either present in their community or responsive to the needs of that place.</em><br /><br />Absolutely. Here's a summary of my interactions with the Police over the last few years:<br /><br />(1) My credit card details used fraudulently to book a ferry crossing, thus placing at least one identifiable suspect at a specific place at a specific future time. Action by the Police: None.<br /><br />(2) My wife's business account hacked and funds removed. Action by the Police: None.<br /><br />(3) Fraudulent emails sent to my staff which resulted in them transferring a four-figure sum to two identified bank accounts, the details of which were passed to the Police. Action by the Police: None.<br /><br />(4) The sudden and without-warning display of a 40 limit on a motorway gantry right in front of me, on a clear day in free-flowing traffic with no congestion or hazards ahead. Action by the Police: immediate letters threatening prosecution, 3 points and £100 fine.<br /><br />This is how the Police communicate their priorities to us.patentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00602962323262055007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-23101597974487834082018-11-04T08:27:24.815+00:002018-11-04T08:27:24.815+00:00Crime tends to follow the economy and housing and ...Crime tends to follow the economy and housing and fashion. The violent crime that hits the news tends to come from the sh*t hole parts of our social fabric. People follow incentives and those in crime are doing just that, crime pays because the alternatives are less attractive. Housing too, put rats in too confined a space and they fight, humans do the same. But to do much about this costs money and political will and we have neither.<br /><br />Right at the root of the problem is money and the flow of wealth. Our economy has moved to leave less and less money at the bottom of the pile. Allowing (or being forced to accept) this to happen has consequences. The simple-minded answer is to make more money - but we can't. Not even clear we could even if we were prepared to upset a few applecarts.<br /><br />The police are a good general purpose force for controlling the usual crimes, the unusual crimes, random inconveniences and picking up the consequences of failure in other parts of our social control system. Just like the teachers, the police are lumbered with picking up the pieces of problems the politicians will not face or fund. Sure, we can build more prisons and we will always have to deal with those who just won't behave, but that takes money and politicians will only spend money if crime affects their voting chances. Outside the election cycle they won't bother.<br /> <br />Looking to the future, matters are likely to get worse. With the advance of robotics and AI there are likely to be fewer jobs and that effect will extend further up the social spectrum. Long term we will probably spend less on mass education rather than more because there will be no point and there won't be the money anyway. Get used to deprivation and crime and social division, there will be more of it.jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00470816959796395467noreply@blogger.com