Economy is blamed for rise in crime (From The Argus)
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Sussex Police blame economy for rise in crime
3:10pm Monday 13th February 2012 in News By Ben Parsons, Crime Reporter
A rise in crime in Sussex for the first time in seven years has been blamed on the economy.
Thefts and burglaries are being put down to the effects of money problems in people’s lives.
Critics of Government-imposed budget cuts say the trend will continue as people get poorer and more police officer posts are axed.
Thefts of bags, wallets and phones, and scrap metal thefts, are being blamed for the rises.
Chief Constable Martin Richards of Sussex Police is due to face Sussex Police Authority – the panel of councillors and independent people who oversee the force – on Thursday, February 16.
Sussex Police has cut 180 officers this year as part of a four-year £50 million savings drive.
Another 87 of the 2,950 currently in post are expected to go by March 2013.
The force has said it expects to lose 500 in total by 2015.
His report, published in advance of the meeting, said that overall crime is up by 0.5%, or 423 offences, since April 2011, compared with the same period the previous year.
If that trend continues to the end of March, it would be the first time crime has risen since the financial year between 2004 and 2005.
That year there were 140,177 reported crimes in Sussex. Between 2010 and 2011 there were 97,134.
Mr Richards said house burglary is down and violent crime has fallen by 9% this year.
He blamed the rise in crime on other types of break-in – which include burglaries of business premises and outbuildings – rising 10%, and an increase in some theft categories of 12.1%.
He said: “In Brighton and Hove there have been increases in theft of unattended bags, mobile phones and iPads, but on East and West Sussex Division metal and fuel thefts play a larger part.”
In Brighton and Hove shoplifting is up 10%, and pickpocketing by 40%, with dozens of mobile phones being reported stolen every weekend.
In rural areas thefts of metal to sell for scrap, and tools from outbuildings, are common.
Read more on this story inside today's Argus.
Comments(14)
jimbobmaginty
says...
3:56pm Mon 13 Feb 12
The reason is partly the economy because even these scumbags need to pay for stuff but the justice system is to blame for not making an example and putting these people away!
If someone commits a crime put them in prison! Don’t let them off so that they can do it the next day!
It’s not fair because i have seen Argus stories concerning people that have gone to court and been convicted with a little fine, Next day they Robb and assault someone! Who’s fault is that then? not the economy more the system that puts them back on the streets!
idiots!
lordenglandofsussex
says...
4:13pm Mon 13 Feb 12
jimbobmaginty wrote:Well said, sir.
Don’t blame the economy you useless lot!
The reason is partly the economy because even these scumbags need to pay for stuff but the justice system is to blame for not making an example and putting these people away!
If someone commits a crime put them in prison! Don’t let them off so that they can do it the next day!
It’s not fair because i have seen Argus stories concerning people that have gone to court and been convicted with a little fine, Next day they Robb and assault someone! Who’s fault is that then? not the economy more the system that puts them back on the streets!
idiots!
J Noble Daggett
says...
4:27pm Mon 13 Feb 12
lordenglandofsussex wrote:Agree 100% How about Sussex Plod announcing the percentage increase of crimes they did not solve.....
jimbobmaginty wrote:Well said, sir.
Don’t blame the economy you useless lot!
The reason is partly the economy because even these scumbags need to pay for stuff but the justice system is to blame for not making an example and putting these people away!
If someone commits a crime put them in prison! Don’t let them off so that they can do it the next day!
It’s not fair because i have seen Argus stories concerning people that have gone to court and been convicted with a little fine, Next day they Robb and assault someone! Who’s fault is that then? not the economy more the system that puts them back on the streets!
idiots!
Tony Harrison
says...
4:46pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Alan G Skinner
says...
5:04pm Mon 13 Feb 12
J Noble Daggett
says...
5:09pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Alan G Skinner wrote:Well OTHER Police Forces are, Sussex Plod have resisted due to;
Stellar observation, unemployment goes up, crime goes up. A very convienient excuse for Police ineptitude. That theory is the worst kind of popular tripe, I wonder given the increase in crime, if Sussex Police are also taking credit for solving more crimes?
a) Sussex Police DO Not wanting to appear to be jumping on the bandwagon
b) Sussex Police have solved LESS Crimes not more
c) Sussex Police are only good at spouting this excremental verbiage.
rolivan
says...
5:34pm Mon 13 Feb 12
AmboGuy
says...
6:27pm Mon 13 Feb 12
rolivan wrote:Yep. About 80% of any crime involving shoplifting/burglary
These crimes have probably been committed by a very small amount of people and IF caught the crime rate will drop back.How many times do you read about a conviction with many other crimes being committed taken under consideration by the same person?
/robbery and bag snatches are commited by about just 20 people in Brighton.
bogs
says...
7:43pm Mon 13 Feb 12
This is what EVERY constable learns on day one. Looks like Sussex have failed at every level.
hubby
says...
8:09pm Mon 13 Feb 12
If people are squeezed so tightly that they have no money to live on then they will steal things.
AmboGuy
says...
9:31pm Mon 13 Feb 12
hubby wrote:I'm not sure it's so much about 'money to live on' for the majority of the offenders, more like 'money to score with'.
Not rocket science.
If people are squeezed so tightly that they have no money to live on then they will steal things.
george smith
says...
6:46am Tue 14 Feb 12
Morpheus
says...
10:02am Tue 14 Feb 12
NickBrt says...
3:16pm Mon 13 Feb 12