11. Feb. 2010. – 11:18:41
On 6th February I commented on the police chief in Hounslow
blaming magistrates` courts for the high rate of burglaries in the town. It was
his contention that if burglars were remanded in custody between court
appearances the problem would be almost solved. His colleagues in Devon and
Exeter Police are more realistic and are getting on with their job of protecting
us, the public, instead of trying to shift the blame to others.
In 2008, 610 house burglaries were reported compared with
402 in 2009 — a reduction of more than 34 per cent. Detective Sergeant Tim
Thornton, of Exeter’s burglary team said the city’s burglary squad continually
monitor the movements of known offenders. He continued, "The process is
quite simple — find out who is responsible by gathering evidence from a number
of sources, ensure prompt arrests and secure convictions. It’s then about keeping
track of known offenders, monitoring their movements and habits and working on
intelligence. If they re-offend or are not rehabilitated the process is
repeated.”
It could be argued that comparing crime in Wild West
London and crime in rural Exeter is not comparing like with like. It cannot be
argued that by attacking the courts Chief Superintendent Bilsen in Hounslow has
revealed a mind set which if typical in the Metropolitan Police Service is
disgraceful. I hope that by now the Commissioner of the Met has reminded his
senior officers of where their job begins and ends; certainly not by slagging
off magistrates.
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