Wednesday 3 October 2012

Police Statement On Burglary: ‘Look, Just Stop Having Nice Things!’

Oh, well. I knew it couldn't be long. No longer content with trying to persuade you to keep things hidden when you’re out in public…
Police say no hiding place is safe in the home after three houses were ransacked and trashed by burglars in broad daylight.
Detectives are advising residents to not keep valuable items, such as jewellery, in their homes after the incidents in Winifred Road, Pitsea , Clayburn Circle and Takely Ride, both in Basildon .
We can’t even keep stuff in our houses now without the police obliquely suggesting it’s our fault?!?
Each burglary happened during the day with the suspects getting into all three homes by smashing securely locked doors and windows at the back of the properties. In each case the houses were completely ransacked, with furniture and fittings smashed in every room until valuable gold jewellery was found.
Surely the proper police response to this sort of event is that this is a disgusting crime and enquiries are ongoing and the full force of the justice system will be brought to bear on people who commit this crime? 

Not whatever this ‘well, you’ve only yourselves to blame’ nonsense is:
Det Con Julie Dennis, investigating officer, said: “It is sometimes customary for families to keep high value gold or other jewellery safe at home, but these crimes show that nowhere is safe in an ordinary house.
“If you have high value or indeed sentimental value jewellery or other special items that you cannot afford to lose, then please keep these in a bank or other safety deposit storage, not at home.
“Criminals may target your home for various reasons, and no hiding place at home is completely safe.”
Well, cheers for that, Julie!

Heaven forbid I should have anything nice in my house, or a sentimental item that – because it’s of sentimental value, you see, maybe you should look that up in a dictionary? – I’d like to look at occasionally without having to go to a bank vault, eh? Or something too large to fit into a bank vault.

I mean, you run campaigns in the press and over social media warning us not to leave items in cars and to be aware of our surrounding and not to use smartphones where muggers might see them (as if they were any use to us if we were too afraid to use them) and OK, I don’t like that, because it seems to be implying that it’s somehow our fault for having nice things and somehow tempting muggers, but, when all’s said and done, it is a public place.

But now we can’t even have them in private either?

26 comments:

farenheit211 said...

The UK police forces. A prime example of 'producer capture' The police are now run sadly for the benefit of those who work in it not for the benefit of those who pay their bloody wages.

Robert the Biker said...

So, if I top billy burglar as he comes into my gaff,can I get away with it by nicking his bling and saying to the coppers "it's his fault for having nice things"?

microdave said...

There appears to be some lack of communication between different sectors of the police. In today's Mail Scotland Yard commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe claims that "Families were safer in their homes than they had been for a generation."

Does this mean we're safer only if we don't have any material possessions?

Anonymous said...

The sentiment is often expressed that one's children are more valuable than any material possessions. They'd be snug in a bank vault.

Brain dead Julie Dennis says "If you have high value ... or other special items that you cannot afford to lose, then please keep these in a bank or other safety deposit storage, not at home."

Well, Julie, sweetcheeks, I do not have children, but there is something precious to me - something I cannot afford to lose - would you mind looking after it for me?

I might put it in your mouth, for example, as nobody would look inside your head for anything of value.

Stop smirking down the back. I am referring to my DuPont lighter.

Anonymous said...

To Protect and Serve

We protect our conditions of service and serve no one but ourselves.

Oh, and everyone is a criminal, it is just some of you haven't been convicted yet.

"If you haven't anything worth stealing on display, you probably won't get burgled ..." well of course that is total nonsense because the average scrote responsible for burglary has no idea if you do have anything worth stealing when they break in and when they do whatever they find is a bonus for them, but whether they find a genuine Rolex or not they are still going to trash the place, p*ss up the curtains and cr*p on the carpets, rip up books and smash everything, because it is what they do, they rarely get caught, they know the police no longer really care about what happens to ordinary members of the public they only care about finding ways to "fix" crime stats and for those crime stats that they can't fix say "those crimes are the victims fault, what can we do?"

Jim said...

Am I the only person who thinks there may be an unmentioned racial element to these cases?

Is it very likely that 3 random houses are broken into and the thieves trash the place AND find lots of hidden jewellery in each of them? Or is it the case that the phrase 'It is sometimes customary for families to keep high value gold or other jewellery safe at home' is a coded reference to the ethnic makeup of the victims? And hence why these particular houses have perhaps been targeted?

None of this is to say that anyone (of any race) should be told what they can and can't safely keep in their homes. Of course not. I just find it odd that there appears to be a missing element of the story that has been left out.

Robert the Biker said...

Jin: Yes, you are almost certainly correct. Many Indian families have a fair amount of gold jewellry for the womenfolk and I believe this has caused comment of the @keep it in the bank' type before

Macheath said...

Jim/Robert; I agree - I think that is what was being hinted at by 'customary'.

However, you should also add the self-designated 'travellers' based in decidedly non-mobile homes; one of their 'traditional values' is keeping their assets in the form of highly portable and negotiable gold jewellery.

My local town, which is a shining beacon of multiculturalism and traveller integration (at least according to people who don't have to go near it at night), boasts a staggering number of jewellery shops for its size.

The advantages of this have not been lost on the home-grown locals; since jewellery is exempt from DSS means tests etc, as well as being easily concealed or traded, the shops are doing a roaring trade - as are the pawnbrokers down the road.

Tatty said...

We're under the mistaken impression that is the remit of The Police to Uphold The Law.

When someone somewhere demanded that they prevent crime too it all went to shit.

It gave them carte blanche to start looking for reasons for Criminals deciding to Break The Law.

Police are no longer for their original purpose. It's way past due time to rewrite and scale back, what their responsibilities to the Law-Abiding Public actually are.

Bobo said...

An admission from the police that Law & Order has effectively ceased to function. "Keep all your valuables in a locked bank vault!" is not far away from "Fortify your home! Seriously! Steel shutters, that sort of thing! We won't be there to keep you safe when the burglars come! You're on your own now, people!" F*ckin' hell, what a sh*tehole this country is.

Macheath said...

How soon, I wonder, before we see it used as a plea in mitigation?

Bill said...

"When someone somewhere demanded that they prevent crime too it all went to shit."

That would be Robert Peel:

1. The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.

It appears thieves have caught on that gold is a traditional wedding present in Indian cultures and they are being specifically targeted. The police should just make this trend known and letpeople make up their own minds what they want to do.

jaded said...

Back to normal Julia!You have taken one silly comment made by a DC and spun it as if it was police policy across the country.
We will never stop burglary until we either jail the scum for serious amounts of time or perhaps shoot a few more.

Tatty said...

Bill, I doubt Robert Peel meant that duty should perverted into the Law Abiding blamed at every opportunity for Crime & Disorder...as opposed to the Criminal themselves.

I'll rephrase then to "when someone somewhere took it upon themselves to screw with Peelian Principles it all went to shit."

I should also have made clear that Police responsibilities need urgent clarification for their sake as much as ours. Apologies.

Jonathan said...

Theft from houses and cars are pretty much the only types of crime where police regularly blame the victims.
Oh, and ..put your valuables in a safety deposit..'. Maybe not:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2066470/Safety-deposit-box-raids-yield-1bn-of-drugs-cash-and-guns.html

Bill said...

"Law Abiding blamed at every opportunity for Crime & Disorder...as opposed to the Criminal themselves."

It's a lot easier to give ' crime prevention advice' than it is to catch criminals which is why the police do it at every opportunity. I agree the wrong people are blamed for crime ( the victims and the police).

"Police responsibilities need urgent clarification"

Couldn't agree more. I would add priorities and style as well. The do everything and please everyone idea has caused a lot of the current problems with the CJS.

MTG said...

Here was the response I received to a report of theft from my garden shed:

MTG: Hello, I wish to report the theft of a £700 petrol lawnmower.
W Yorks Police: Your name, address and date of birth?
MTG: How can my date of birth be relevant?
W Yorks Police: Are you being awkward, Sir?
MTG: Not at all. I just don't see the relevance of my d.o.b.
W Yorks Police: I need the information to fill in this form, otherwise I wouldn't ask you for it, would I?
MTG: That doesn't explain to me why you need it or how it could aid the recovery of my lawnmower.
W Yorks Police: Are you refusing to cooperate, Sir?
MTG: Not at all but until I become a cautioned suspect in the investigation, I decline to volunteer unnecessary personal information.
W Yorks Police (stifled chortle): What investigation would that be, Sir?
MTG: You know, the customary police investigation into a reported crime.
W Yorks Police: No need for bloody sarcasm. I'm not here to take abuse. If you continue being abusive, I will put the 'phone down.
MTG: I am neither swearing, threatening you or being abusive. It is you choosing to raise your voice...but hey, let's start again if you wish.

At this point Yorks Police terminated the call. Although they were in possession of my name, address and telephone number, I was subsequently ignored by police in the matter of a significant theft.

The same week I saw four police get out of two panda cars on an Asda forecourt. I learned of their rapid response to deal with a customer who was alleged to have stolen a cheap bottle of wine.

So there you have it 'guys and gals'; the new multi-tiered police response which has forsaken any commitment to thefts from domestic property. Corporate interests, FreeMasons and senior police now get the Premium 5* service. At the end of one very long queue, Mr Average waits for scraps....and there are all too few of those.

Meanwhile, Asda shareholders pat their back pockets with a smile, knowing W Yorks police are safely tucked away.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that MTG. If I ever have to report something, the first thing I will ask is "to whom am I speaking?".

jaded said...

MTG has fallen into the classic trap that I hear about all the time.Because his shed was burgled it means that the police should not respond to shoplifters from Asda.The two events are not connected you fool.For example 100 police are searching for the missing Welsh girl,I guess any thefts from sheds in that area are being put on the back burner.
Congratulations though for remembering a conversation word for word.

Bill said...

MTG,

You wrote both sides of that conversation and still managed to make yourself sound a fool. Well done, that can't have been easy.

WPC Jilted said...

bill melv dunt like us so dont giv compleaments

JuliaM said...

"So, if I top billy burglar as he comes into my gaff,can I get away with it by nicking his bling and saying to the coppers "it's his fault for having nice things"?"

Worth a try!

" I am referring to my DuPont lighter."

Heh!

"...a coded reference to the ethnic makeup of the victims?"

Oooh, could well be!

JuliaM said...

"However, you should also add the self-designated 'travellers' based in decidedly non-mobile homes; one of their 'traditional values' is keeping their assets in the form of highly portable and negotiable gold jewellery."

And also just plain old cash. Or did the POCA put a halt to that?

"Back to normal Julia!You have taken one silly comment made by a DC and spun it as if it was police policy across the country."

It's not just the one police farce that uses its Twitter account to pump out nonsensical 'make sure you shut your doors and windows!' crime prevention 'advice', Jaded. It's most of them!

I should know, I am following them.

"Theft from houses and cars are pretty much the only types of crime where police regularly blame the victims."

We certainly are never going to see it in cases of teenagers getting insensible with drink and then getting assaulted, are we?

Anonymous said...

MTG, thanks for that. Along with my morning coffee your comment brightened up the start to my day. You wish to report the theft of an expensive piece of garden equipment viz. a petrol lawn mower approx value £700. You make contact with your local police and are put through to their version of the telephone reporting department and speak to the police employee, in all likelihood not a police officer. You fail to appreciate the sheer monotony and non-stop call handling nature of their job strictly governed by a host of laws, internal rules and other instructions and immediately alienate them. They have their job to do and you came across as a five star paranoid nut-job. AND THEY HAD THE CHEEK TO TERMINATE YOUR CALL? How many pointless and mental calls does that person alone deal with on each shift, the sheer dross, stupidity and facetwat 'crime' reports waste so much time. Now we know why you are such a tosser. There's a time and a place to engage in a philosophical discussion about the horrendous level of state surveillance, the parlous state of the criminal justice system, the police and their role in society and relationship with the public and the steady erosion of civil liberties - this perhaps wasn't it. Get a life MTG....quick!

Kilgore said...

Heh. I love the smell of burning pleb in the morning.

MTG said...

What at first sounds cruel, is perhaps your suggestion for humane disposal of an irredeemably diseased and warped service, Kilgore?