When the Conservative Party was last in power - and Tony Blair was the Opposition shadow Home Secretary and then Leader - the Government were consistently attacked upon the matter of crime. This was part of Labour's triangulation of the Conservative Party on their traditional ground, and it was helped along by the use of the recorded crime figures.
The Government, trying to defend itself, would cite the British Crime Survey and argue that the picture was not quite as bad as it sounded. The British Crime Survey was, quite rightly, rubbished by the Opposition because it was not based on actual crime but instead surveying and linear extrapolation.
Of course, now that the Conservative Party is in opposition it quite rightly uses the recorded crime figures when it talks about crime. Meanwhile the Labour Party now consider that the British Crime Survey is the most reliable tool for measuring the level of crime. How times change huh?
The reason I bring this up is because the leader of chief constables in England and Wales has accused David Cameron of distorting the crime picture because he is using the recorded crime figures not an extrapolated made up number.
Amusingly he has also thrown in an "it's not as bad as the 80s" argument. Errr excuse me officer, but what the hell does the 1980s have to do with anything? It's a pathetic and irrelevant point to be making.
Next time you attend an incident where someone has been stabbed by a ten year-old (assuming you get away from a desk), I trust you will be saying to the victim whilst they bleed "hey, look on the bright side, the 1980s were much worse than this!"?
He might as well have said "it's not as bad as the 18th century", it would be just as meaningless. Let's just think about the 80s for a minute though. Sure, there were incidents like the odd riot, it sucked. However comparing it with now is like comparing the difference between apples and oranges.
Today we don't have riots with adults running rampage on a crappy council estate. Instead we have gangs of feral youths roaming the streets tooled up to the eyeballs, charged up on White Lightening, randomly stabbing and/or shooting each other. People avoid making eye contact when then walk along a street these days in case they get set upon.
What's more these kids are the society of tomorrow. Their nihilist tendencies are a ticking timebomb, and if the head of ACPO is too blind to see that and would rather walk around saying "you've never had it so good" then perhaps we should be thinking of changing the person in that position.
On the plus side though, it's good to see that ACPO's top plod is avoiding being too political... bravo!
8 comments:
"On the plus side though, it's good to see that ACPO's top plod is avoiding being too political... bravo!"
Couldn't agree more, Dizzy. The police, esp. the Met, are being roped in at every opportunity, to support NuLab/the government. Remember them sayting how they suported the government's wish to hold people for 90 days without charge?
The majority of the members of ACPO appear to be the best worked-example of "The Peter Principle" that I've ever seen!
He obviously wants to keep his job.
Just goes to show how Labour have politicised everything they can get their sticky fingers into. From the police to teachers and nurses, they are all heavily dependent on the government for funding and kudos. It's time to take the politics out of all these areas - or at least away from central government. Locally elected police commissioners, locally elected health chiefs, and headteachers accountable to governors and parents.
Yes, he might as well have said "it's not as bad as the 18th century". He could not however have said "it's not as bad as the 19th century" because the 19th century was better (particually the later part of it) for crime than today. Which is rather depressing but does show that looking to the past, especially if you are looking for answers, does have some merits.
Sorry Dizzy but
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I make eye contact, but then I'm prepared to break any chav that dares close with me.
I suggest boxing lessons and Rugby be made compulsory for all working graduates.
"Today we don't have riots with adults running rampage on a crappy council estate. Instead we have gangs of feral youths roaming the streets tooled up to the eyeballs, charged up on White Lightening, randomly stabbing and/or shooting each other. People avoid making eye contact when then walk along a street these days in case they get set upon."
You've been sleeping with the Daily Mail under your pillow again...
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