Should I Get A Council Tax Refund?

[Gromit]

My local Police have now admitted that they do not investigate 60% of reported crimes. As I am Council Tax and part of that goes to paying for policing, am I being ripped of if most crime is not investigated?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-23967098

[youngmafbog]

Did they ever investigate 100% of crimes?

I suspect not.

[Octavius]

Officer numbers have reduced by 19% as well, so you are paying more for less. Rock on big society, yee ha.

[ToraToraTora]

No

[Gromit]

Did they ever not investigate 60% of crimes?

I suspect not.

[andy-hughes]

It's a nice idea isn't it?

I recall when League Tables were introduced for the police (excuse me while i laugh until I pass out!)

When we were burgled and a constable from the Staffordshire Police came round, I asked if we could see a constable from the Devon and Cornwall police because stats. showed that their clear-up rate was better.

He was not amused!

[jake-the-peg]

His point is they are intelligence lead

They are not investigating crimes but rather investigating criminals.

Given that in crimes like burglaries and shoplifting 80% of these are probably committed by a small number of individuals and gangs.

By concentrating on crimes where there is good evidence you maximise your chances of catching and convicting those responsible for all of the crimes.


Of course this is a PR issue because those burgled want *their* burglary to be investigated.

From the point of view of a chief constable though the question is how do I reduce crime to the greatest extent I can with a limited resource

[anotheoldgit]

This should answer all those who state that crime figures have gone down.

[Old_Geezer]

Instead they may ask you to stump up a further 40% each to give the police enough budget.

Might be wise to lie low on that one.

Sickening though, to realise you are a victim, go report it, and it is filled away and forgotten. Makes one think it isn't worth the effort of reporting.

[modeller]

I believe you . I reported a shooting incident and I knew who was involved but all they said was . " Thank you, do let us know if it happens again. "

[factor-fiction]

Maybe it's better to investigate 40% thoroughly rather than waste time trying to solve crimes on which they have little or no information to go off.

[factor-fiction]

>This should answer all those who state that crime figures have gone down.

I haven't read the article but that comment, AOG, seems to suggest they don't even record the crimes they don't investigate. Is that what you are claiming?

[jake-the-peg]

Hardly AOG

Investigated is not the same as recorded.

Crimes are still recorded whether or not they receive detailed investigation.

You will have to seek elsewhere for evidence to support your conspiracy theory

[Eve]

Well, they seem to be busy enough, there has been a marked increase of them patrolling round areas like Piccadilly Gardens, from enforcing not drinking in public in designated areas (ie taking booze, and probably drugs and such, off the sunbathers, the homeless and general idiots).

There seems to be increased incidents of them accompanying ticket inspectors on Stagecoach buses too, mainly 2 x inspectors and 2 x uniformed officers, sad to think they need to do this!

The football and other major events, which seem to be increasing, along with protests and such must also use up huge resources.

I guess things like this leave far fewer resources for investigation crimes like break-ins.

That said, when there were some nasty gang related incidents in my street some years ago I was more than impressed by the police's reactions, leaflets through the door within hours of one incident, lots of police and PCSOs round talking to people, a mobile police van etc... That resulted in convictions and jail time.

They were also very good when, in two separate incidents my neighbour and near neighbour were reported missing and the police broke in and found them both dead. Similarly in other incidents.

They do a lot of good, I just they are severely curtailed by resources and how they are told to prioritise.

[Peter Pedant]

Modeller - shooting incident -

I have to report the Manchester Police despite their rather obvious drawbacks (they managed to shoot and kill one of their own ) .
do respond to reports of gubshots

probably something to do with the one eyed cop killer,

they will happily come around and smash up the house where the shots emanate from.

Good job too


as for getting as much govt as you pay for
you should be thankful that you dont

[Eve]

They responded plenty, from the Brass Handles incident, Wellington Pub shooting, the lad who was shot down the bottom of Regent Road and plenty of the more "day to day" incidents, albeit these are all in Salford but still GMP.

Most recent I heard around my way was Somali gangs shooting at one another round Moss Side way. At a local police meet the people event I went to we had a talk from our guns and gangs taskforce leader about the local problems and what they are doing about it.

I still remember a gangland shooting outside where I worked once, police and forensics were all over it.