Crime Prevention Officers

[bainbrig]

In the olden days, you could ask your local nick to send round its Crime Prevention Officer, who would have a good gander at your home and point out insecure points.

Do CPOs still exist, and do they still perform this vital function?

Bill B

[douglas9401]

They do in cyberspace anyway Bill.

[Buenchico]

Information is now usually provided in the form of leaflets, online or through Neighbourhood Watch schemes. For example:
https://www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/home-safety

You'd have trouble finding a 'local nick' in many areas now anyway. There are only three police stations open to the public in the whole of Suffolk, with the one in Ipswich (for example) being little more than an enquiry desk and a handful of offices behind it. There are only a handful of coppers based there.

[4candles]

They're now called CPDAs (Crime Prevention Design Advisors) -
http://www.securedbydesign.com/contact-directory-of-cpdas-and-alos/

[bainbrig]

Well, we seem to be relatively well-off in NW London, although you wouldn't know it from the lackadaisical response to recent break-ins round here.

Anyway, we do have a CPO of sorts, although it is apparently now a 'charity' that runs it (eh?) and they are willing to send people out to have a butchers at your windows, locks, etc., and give advice.

There is, of course, a web-site
www.wembleycrimeprevention.org
which is all very nice, but doesn't make up for the criminal (?) lack of response when three geezers went through someone's front window and made off with a wall-safe - the old bill didn't even knock at neighbours to see if they'd noticed anything!

Off the direct point, weren't the Tories the party of law and order? So why have they presided over the (again choosing the word carefully) criminal reduction in police services throughout the country?

Oh for the good old days when you knew where you stood, and criminals put their hands up and said "It's a fair cop, gov'nor"...

Bill B