Three quarters of theft cases 'screened out' by Met

Posted by GLA Conservatives in Blog   Share2013

Jun
19

Give victims right to appeal to local safer neighbourhood boards – if police ignore crimes

73% of theft crimes in London are not being investigated by police, according to figures* uncovered by GLA Conservatives Assembly Member Victoria Borwick.

The London data also shows that a quarter (26%) of burglary was screened out by the Met as well as 11% of robbery and 37% of fraud and forgery. Victoria is now calling for victims of crime to be allowed the right to appeal to their local safer neighbourhood boards – groups of local volunteers working with local police which come into existence from 2014 – if the police decide not to investigate their crime.

Victoria Borwick said: “It is shocking that the Met are refusing to investigate an alarmingly high number of acquisitive crimes. If you are a thief in London, you can be safe in the knowledge that about three quarters of your crimes, reported by victims, will be completely ignored by police. Meanwhile victims are being abandoned by the people they expect to protect them. Resources are tight and police must prioritise crimes; but we must make it clear that cases such as theft and burglary are not minor. They can have a devastating impact on the confidence, wellbeing and finances of the victim.

“Victims will not get the justice they deserve if their experiences are disregarded. The new policy by the CPS – which would allow victims to appeal against decisions by prosecutors not to charge suspects – is a major advance. However, we should go further and – if police decide not to investigate a crime in the first place – give victims the right to appeal to their forthcoming local safer neighbourhood boards.”