Crime and punishment

I have planning a big post on this for a while but work has got in the way, so here's a taster.

The news is being reported today that

"serious offenders are getting off lightly because police are chasing performance targets"

and that

"I've known a caution for a serious offence of actual bodily harm where the victim required stitches." ... "A caution was issued for having a house full of cannabis plants. A 20-year-old man who had unlawful sex with a 15-year-old was cautioned."

and that

"Solicitors have also described how some offenders exploit the system by giving false addresses and said there was no proper confirmation of their identity. They also said half of fines are not paid in full. Mr Johnson said: "The criminals play the system day in day out. They admit the offence quickly to qualify for a ticket, which is the fastest way of getting out of the police station.""

We also learn that

"Another solicitor who works with the Ministry of Justice described the system as "staggering and deranged". "The bottom is falling out of the criminal justice system, workload in London courts is easily down by half."

We further learn that

"The Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file police officers, says that pressure on forces to improve crime detection rates is to blame. A federation spokesman said officers are being "encouraged to dispense instant justice where at all possible". He said: "It's a dumbing down of the criminal justice system. Persistent offenders, like shoplifters for example, can cross county borders picking up £80 fines and never pay them.""

What is really happening is this, the government has run out of money for the criminal justice system, they cannot afford to build any more prisons. They want to appear tough on crime but are infested with the kind of people who think that criminals are really just victims of society. The government also want to reduce the crime figures so as to reassure an ever more worried public and offence reduction is a good way of doing this, it also has the side-benefit of increasing crime detection rates.

There is of course still one area where no leniency is given, no allowances made for the perpetrator of the "crime". That is the area of traffic offences; if you park on a traffic meter for 2 minutes over the length of stay you have paid for, you will get a £40 or £50 fine. If you exceed the 50mph speed limit on an empty A-road at 4am and are caught on a speed camera, you will get a fine and three points and have your insurance increased as a result. Get caught four times in five years and you will lose your driving licence and so possibly your job.

In Labour Britain a repeat burglar will get chance after chance before even getting sentenced to a community sentence (which he need not even attend). In Labour Britain a thug may cause physical damage and yet just receive a fine (which he need not pay). In Labour Britain a driver will be charged, sentenced and fined all before he gets out of his car. Justice, don't make me laugh.

In Labour Britain in 2008 I worry more about being caught speeding and so losing my driving licence than any scrote worries about being caught and punished for carrying a knife, or burgling a house or dealing drugs.

Well done Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the succession of incompetent Home Secretaries who have presided over the collapse in law and order in this Country over the last 11 years. Thanks also to the increasingly politicised police force for worrying more about inclusivity and community relations than crime prevention and detection. Between you, you have well and truly screwed this Country over - are you proud?