faginsgirl

Hi.

I find that everytime I switch on the news it is upsetting. Children being stabbed etc. Is it that the country is getting more violent or is it because we have more media coverage to get the information to the general public? I mean, there has always been crime since there have been humans on the earth.

I think probably a bit of both. Either way, its all very depressing.

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

alan gowdy

Yes there is more media coverage but only a fool could seriously believe that there has not been a dreadful increase in both casual and extreme violence around the country. No way was there anything like the number of stabbings, beatings and shootings twenty years ago.

If anyone cares to produce valid figures to prove me wrong I'll happily eat humble pie!

"Don't forget... one of petrol, two of meths"

faginsgirl

Unfortnately I can`t prove you wrong! I hate to think what it will be like in another 20 years.

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

christoph404

I would say alarmist tabloid newspaper reporting and distortion of facts and statistics is at an all time high and actual crime figures have been falling over the last ten years. Just google "crime statistics uk" and have a quick look at some surveys and crime figures from various sources other than tabloid newspapers for a more realistic over view.

Steve Crook

Metropolitan Police Service - Crime Figures

Steve

davidb

ha !

Steve Crook

Reported crimes across the whole country for the years 1993-2006
Crime Statistics for England and Wales - Long-term national recorded crime trends

Crime in England & Wales 2006/7
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdf...me0607summ.pdf

How would Sir like his pie served?

Where there have been increases in any particular crime it's easy for the newspapers to make it appear like a crime wave sweeping the nation.

For instance, there was a 1,000% increase in homicides in Enfield from year ending April 07 to April 08. They went up from just 1 in the year ending April 07 to 11 in the year ending April 08. In a population of over a quarter million people. But in the whole of London they went down 2% so we'd better not mention that in the newspaper or people will realise that we're just trying to keep them terrified so that they keep buying our newspapers to read about how terrible it all is.

Steve

Steve Crook

I'm glad it amuses you

Steve

davidb

of course the police would never manipulate or massage the figures .like the leaked memo advising not to log criminal damage etc to keep the figures low .i wouldnt waste my time looking at the link you provided but i would wonder how many solved crimes are merely cautions issued just to make the figures look good .not a lot of people know but a police caution counts as a prosecution in anyway

christoph404

The thing about stats is interpreting them in a logical way to make sense of them. If figures for violent crime go up because there is more vandalism( violence against property is considered violent crime) then should we be more concerned about our car being keyed by a vandal or by being physically attacked? I would agree that stats can be misleading but you have to start somewhere to get an idea of what's going on and many surveys involve the interviewing of victims of crime. Stats and surveys also try and find out what people fear most and whether those fears are justified. If you are a teenage male living in a south London council estate and are of Asian or Afro Carribbean heritage then you may have more to fear regarding being involved in gang knife crime because stats show that 99% of serious knife crime involves that group.

A caution does not count as a prosecution because you can only be prosecuted in court and found guilty or innocent. To accept a caution you are admitting to an offense but you will not have a criminal record. A caution might be seen as a solved crime which in effect it is because you have been caught doing something, admitted to it and received a caution and if you are unfortunate enough to be cautioned it will stay on record for 5 years and can be brought up if you get into trouble again. If you have been cautioned for a minor offense and later asked whether you have a criminal record the answer would be "no" Im thinking that perhaps what you mean is that a caution counts as a "solved crime".....well it is, because as I said accepting a caution is admitting to an offense. Also the Police can't just caution you on a whim or a suspicion, if for example you are stopped and searched and found to be carrying a knife or illegal drugs or caught shoplifting with DVDs stuffed down your Y fronts then the evidence is pretty overwhelming and after having your contraband confiscated you will be offered a caution and it would be stupid not to admit the crime and accept the lesser consequence.....and a crime is solved. Thats the theory anyway!

Steve Crook

If you had wasted your time looking at that last link you'd see that it includes the results from the British Crime Survey which asks about perceptions of crime. And it still doesn't show any significant increase in overall crime.

And that the Met page is showing reported crime, not solved crimes.

Sometimes it is worth making an effort

Steve

billy bentley

Having not lived in London for over twenty years, I should keep well out of this, but... about 3 years ago I was speaking to one of my dearest friends who lives in Neasden. He came of age in 60's mod London, spent a lot of time in the West End and he has "been about'. He told me that London had got a lot heavier, "I've been to a lot of funerals man, peoples' kids". Obviously this doesn't apply to the whole UK, but in certain quarters the word is grim.

davidb

re steve crooks comments . theres a huge amount of people nowadays who simply dont report crimes ,unless they need an insurance claim number . i had you down for someone more discerning than to simply swallow government or its various agencies figures ,especially this government

davidb

the trend has been of late to simply go after easy convictions for the sake of statistics . excuse my french but balls to statistics .go after the real criminals

christoph404

Im off to re- read some of the posts on "when a row flares up on Brit-Movie" thread.
then to bed...night chaps