CRIME Does PAY

Police chief warns of crime rise South Yorkshire

The chief constable of South Yorkshire has said the region
will experience a rise in crime due to British government cut backs in policing.

Remedied Hughes has told his police authority the spending
reduction will affect every area of his force, and all over England crime will
rise.

In a report he warned that a shrinking force and cuts in
council services would have an impact.

Of course British ministers have given assurances that
neighbourhood policing and responding to emergencies will remain immune from
the cuts but we have heard that same old story so many times before and then
they just do the cuts behind your backs?

Home Secretary Theresa May has previously told the
Association of Chief Police Officers they must use budgets in the most useful
way.

She has said: "Front-line availability should increase
even as budgets contract," pledging to be "ruthless" on waste.

But the chief constable claims there will be fewer units to
tackle serious and organised crime and that support staff cuts will saddle
officers with an "increased burden" and detract from front-line
duties.

'Unrealistic in the longer term'

In his report, Mr Hughes said government expectations of
improving performance were "challenging if not unrealistic in the longer
term".

And he said the negative impact on performance as a result
of changes within the service and altering social factors as budget cuts bite
and unemployment figures rise would be felt in years to come.

The document, to be considered by the police authority at a
meeting on 8 April, contains a number of warnings.

It states: "The government has announced changes to the
benefits system.

"This may well put pressure on some individuals to
consider committing acquisitive crime in order to mitigate the impact of reductions
in their income.

"There is to be a reduction in the number of prison
places and this may result in some prolific offenders living within our
communities as opposed to serving time within a custodial facility."

'More unemployment'

Mr Hughes said job losses in the wider community and fewer
officers were a difficult combination.

He adds: "We can anticipate an increase in
unemployment.

"This will bring additional pressures on some
individuals to commit crime in order to continue to enjoy the same or a similar
standard of living.

"All this takes place against the backdrop of fewer
police officers and police staff able to provide support to communities."

The chief constable's report also said demands on counter
terrorism threats, organised crime and the Olympic Games had a potential to
increase social unrest.

He said: "There is likelihood that we will see an
increased number of demonstrations in the years ahead as the levels and the
impact of the cuts are more keenly felt by communities and by certain groups of
employees.

"The policing of those demonstrations, even when
peaceful, can be very resource intensive."

The London Times survey 1000 people over different parts of
England on low income and housing benefits asking would they turn to minor or
major crime to keep their home’s; 7 out of every ten said yes they would consider
committing a crime to help keep their home, 10 out of 10 said they would do
where ever was needed to be done to keep the homes major or minor crime didn’t
matter what mattered was keeping the roofs over their heads, saying it all very
well for British MP’s on their big pay packets and other cash they get, they aren’t
going to be losing their homes or jobs, and yet they still take benefits with
is in itself a crime? What’s good for the goose is just as good for the gander?
Crime will rise, Crime does pay,