"Broken Windows Theory? Nah. Never Heard Of It..."

According to Met Police data between January 2017 and September this year shopkeepers called police 2,259 times about attempts to steal their wares.

But of these reports, 2,993 or 85 per cent were either closed with no suspect identified, are still under investigation or have not been updated since the original report.

So are the police useless? Why, perish the thought! It's just that they are starved of funds, of course.

A Met Police spokeswoman said: "The Met is under various pressures including financial challenges and increasing demand.

"As a result we are having to take decisions about how we prioritise our resources.

"Under the Met's new General Investigations Policy, she said, "Lower level, higher volume offences such as shoplifting, car crime and criminal damage will have the policy applied to them to decide what level of investigation is appropriate.

"With the pressure on our resources it is not proportionate for our officers to spend a considerable amount of time looking into a low-value theft offence."

But plenty of time and resources to question four year olds about taking pictures of themselves. Or pursue decades-old non-crimes whenever some nutter comes up with them.

According to police data, there have been 665 reported thefts from supermarkets across Barking and Dagenham and 185 from shopping centres. More than 400 incidents were also reported in petrol stations and parking areas.

The worst-hit road in the whole of the borough was East Street in Barking, where 157 shoplifting-related crimes have been reported in less than two years. This was followed by Whalebone Lane South with 49 and Green Lane in Becontree, which police were called to on no fewer than 44 occasions.

And these places will soon become no-go areas. We know this. It's been proven.

Perhaps the shopkeepers and residents might like to consider asking for a rebate on their police precept?

Fool Me Once, Shame On You...

A woman beater spared jail after choking his partner turned up drunk for his 'Building Better Relationships' course.

Yeah, you guessed it: Liverpool.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he had 24 previous convictions for 43 offences during a sentencing hearing on July 12 last year.

But he walked free after defence lawyers said he had already served the equivalent of a nine-month jail sentence on remand.

He was supported by Miss Ellis, who declined to give a victim statement, said she loved him, and sat with his parents in court.

On that occasion, Judge Andrew Menary, QC, gave Devereux "a final chance" to address his alcoholism and underlying issues.

And how did that go? Reader, it went as you'd expect:

However, the court today, January 7, heard he "behaved in an unacceptable manner" at a probation centre just days later on July 18 - when he was warned about his conduct - and again on October 16.

The yob then skipped further probation appointments on November 18 and December 16, over which he failed to give "a reasonable excuse".

Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, said the 150 hours of unpaid work was removed last August, after an application was made by the thug's lawyers, saying he would struggle to complete it.

Removed? Replaced with anything? Or just 'Ah, OK, we'll scrap that'?

Devereux today admitted breaching the suspended sentence, but asked for yet another chance to turn his life around.

*speechless*

Julian Nutter, defending....

SNORK!

....said his client now had an appointment scheduled at Clock View Hospital's mental health clinic in Walton tomorrow.

Well, I expect he has. But he seems to have difficulty actually attending them...

Judge Menary said: "I gave you an opportunity then. Sadly, you haven't taken it."

He activated the suspended sentence and jailed Devereux for 20 months.

Which he won't serve in full, no doubt.

Who Could Have Foreseen This? Pt 487925

Oh, that's right. Everyone.

Norfolk police have put an increase in the number of dangerous dog offences in the county over the past three years down in part in an influx of street dogs from other countries.

Gosh, who'd think that this might be a bad idea? C'mon, Boris, bring the Brexit to stop this madness.

Of the 595 offences recorded over the past three years, less than 10pc of offences ended in a person being charged.

And the excuses for this? Well, it's not going to be police laziness or incompetence, is it?

Insp Hammerton said while every offence committed was investigated, the outcome depended on a number of factors including the nature of the offence, evidence and the victim's wishes.

"Victims may not want to go through with a prosecution for a number of reasons including not wanting to go to court or they don't want to prosecute the owner because they fear the dog will be put to sleep.

"Sometimes the victims are friends of the dog and owner so do not wish to take further action. It could also be that the dog within the family may have injured another family member," she said.

Even more reason it should get the needle, then. Regardless of the victim's wishes.

Red Flags...

We all know by now what that means, don't we?

Neil Jones who lives next door said: “Ollie had been staying with a friend. The two of them were the best of friends. Ollie always seemed like a nice guy.

“He came from a travelling background and had family in Lewes.”

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder. A knife was recovered at the scene.

Can't wait for the trial...

Weasel Words...

The driver of the car, PC John Mole, this week told an inquest jury in Liverpool he believed he had activated both its blue lights and siren - but accepted the siren had not in fact been switched on.

The absence of the earsplitting noise wasn't a clue?

The inquest heard there was no information within a police car, other than its sound, to show its siren had been activated.

Probably not something the manufacturer ever considered would be needed. Still, maybe Mole is an aberration and...

His passenger, PC James Jordan, had also believed the siren was on.

Oh.

The 11-strong panel found ‘there was no opportunity for the collision to be avoided’ after hearing that the victim had been more than three times the drink-drive limit.

Yeah, you heard that right. The victim. God forbid anyone suggest it was the idiot driving the car that was at fault.

No fault was found with PC Mole’s driving and he remains on duty and eligible to take the wheel on emergency call-outs.

How reassuring to the public!

However coroner Andre Rebello ((CRCT)) is to write to the National Police Chiefs Council asking for it to consider whether there should be a signal inside police vehicles that confirms a siren has been activated.

Good grief. What calibre of police are they hiring up there?

PC Mole, who previously worked as an Emergency Medical Technician with the London Ambulance Service, wept as he told how he performed an emergency stop and ripped open Mr Carroll’s shirt to perform CPR but ‘I just couldn’t bring myself to do it’.

‘I curled up into a ball and started crying my eyes out,’ he added.

Well, I guess that answers that question. Seems Mole is as dangerous outside the car as in it...

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Carden said the force’s ‘thoughts and sympathies’ were with Mr Carroll’s family and friends. He stressed the officers had ‘acted in line with their training and national guidelines’.

Apart from the curling up into a ball and weeping like a little girl while the man you've killed bleeds out on a cold street, you mean?

‘The safety of the public is always our officers’ primary concern, and it is a tragedy that this collision took place as they were travelling to protect a young child and their mother from any further harm,’ he added.

Except they weren't. They'd received a report that there was a drunken woman with a pram. Is that really so uncommon in Liverpool that a 60mph response is required?

Like Father, Like Son...

'The driver was travelling with frost on his windscreen that had not been adequately cleared; he did not notice Jasjot on a zebra crossing and carried on, colliding with her and causing her fatal injuries. The collision was entirely avoidable if only some time had been taken to prepare the car for the trip ahead.'

Fitzgerald, who stopped at the scene, was handed a ten-month prison sentence and a 23-month driving ban at Kingston Crown Court in January 2019.

So, a foreseeable accident? Could have happened to anyo...

Wait.

University student Fitzgerald, of Brentwood, Essex, had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and causing death by driving uninsured.

Hmmm....

Fitzgerald's father, Gary, 54, pleaded guilty to permitting the use of a motor vehicle with no insurance at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court in May 2018.

He was given eight penalty points on his licence, issued with a £250 fine and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and costs.

What a lovely family. We'd all be safer if the driving ban was for life.

"“Where do these horses come from? Shouldn’t you have to microchip your horse like you do your pet?”"

It's a fair question. But we know the answer, don't we?

The footage - taken from the view point of a car following an illegal pony-and-trap race on Tuesday afternoon - has been viewed more than 100,000 times and shows two horses speeding along a section of A127.

The video ends as one of the horses veers off the road and collides at speed with the central reservation, sending both the rider and horse careering into the air.

Essex Police has also confirmed officers dealt with reports of a car crashing into two stray horses on the A127 near the Wickford turn off at roughly 1.40am yesterday morning.

It's not going to come as a surprise to them, is it?

It is unclear whether the two incidents are linked with Essex Police unable to provide details on the alleged racing or whether they had received any reports of it.

I expect you have so many of these reports you're unable to filter them properly, eh?

Crank Letters...

Chris Packham has criticised ITV for putting profit ahead of 'environmental morals' as he backed calls for an alleged trophy hunter to be axed from Love Island.

Oliver Williams, 23, was pictured smiling by the carcasses of a warthog, water buffalo (Ed: *rolls eyes*) and sable antelope in Africa.

I guess you don't feel as positive and optimistic then..?

Packham has previously railed against ITV for using animals for entertainment and successfully campaigned to ban the eating of live insects on I'm A Celebrity.

'They've never replied to any of my letters,' Packham said of ITV executives.

Heh! I can just imagine the scene: "Tarquin, we've got another one - different shade of green ink, but I recognise the handwriting...""

He added that killing a warthog for conservation is 'nonsensical' as the species does not qualify as threatened, near-threatened or conservation dependent.

Then it's fair game, surely?

Worse Than Useless...

Jamie Villers was on the 51 bus with her brother and his friend - both of whom are special needs - at around 3am on New Year's Day.

During the journey, a man started walking up the stairs and calling them names, telling them to "stop staring."

"I was just confused," Jamie told the News Shopper. "When he came down the stairs to get off he started on my brother and started saying 'Oi who you staring at come and fight me big man' and I was like 'who are you talking to' and then he gestured to my brother.

"That's when I said he is autistic and can’t help it.

"He then proceeded to get off the bus (on Foots Cray High Street near Cray Road) and started shouting at us, saying 'come and fight me, I’m gonna f***ing shank you'."

Sounds like a hate crime to me. Any sign the police are taking it seriously? Who's the suspect?

"My brother's friend was at the back and the man kicked him pretty hard in the back of the leg and started screaming, telling us to fight him and telling us he was gonna 'buss out his shank'," Jamie added.

"Then he got his phone out and put the flash on and started filming it, talking to the camera saying 'I’m gonna fight these seven on one' and then he kicked someone else we were with twice in the back of his legs and carried on shouting and following us toward our house.

She described the attacker as having had a khaki green cap on, brown hair, and wearing black tracksuit trousers.

What's the point of giving a description of clothing, and not race or physical features?

In the comments, we get more detail:

'I didn't think to comment on race'. Yet it's a descriptive feature that may assist in apprehending offenders. 

Well done, 'progressives'. You've built the future you wanted to see. Is it safer?

Bargain!

A homeowner who damaged a 90-year-old tree so badly it had to be felled has been fined over £60,000.

He can clearly afford it. And if they'd told him that would be the cost of felling it he'd no doubt have paid up...

Stephen Lawrence, from Chelmsford, Essex, had made two applications to the council to fell the mature protected cedar, but both were refused by the council.

Despite warnings, he stripped the bark off the lower trunk, according to the council, and holes were drilled into the wood.

Chelmsford City Council said the damage was so extensive it had to be felled - and took him to court.

Does he care about the criminal record? Obviously not!

The defendant was initially fined £90,000, but this was reduced to £60,000 plus costs of £1,004.82 and a victim surcharge of £32, based on his early guilty plea.

A better sentence would have been to confiscate the house, giving him the lowest market valuation.