Mayor calls for zero tolerance policing for minor crimes Violent offences soar by fifth in a single year
WEST Midlands Mayor Andy Street has called for a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to crime.
He said cracking down on minor offences would “set the standard” for acceptable behaviour and could help cut the number of serious offences, including violent crime.
Mr Street said: “Zero tolerance around less serious crime is absolutely right.”
The number of violent crimes recorded by West Midlands police shot up by a fifth in the past 12 months, recent police figures show.
West Midlands Police recorded 61,124 violent crimes in a year. That was 167 violent crimes a day.
Mr Street highlighted comments by Dave Thompson, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, who admitted last year that the force is “not pursuing crimes where we could find a suspect”.
The mayor said: “I really do believe, particularly if you look at the age profile of a lot of the offenders in violent crime, that the idea of zero tolerance around less serious crime is absolutely right.
“We have a problem at moment of less serious crime going challenged.
“That is not any revelation. That is what the Chief Constable says.
“So certainly in the areas where I have some direct influence already, crime on transport, we have been very clear – that approach not be tolerated.
“And I think that sets the standard, particularly with young people, about what is acceptable.”
A zero tolerance approach to crime was pioneered in New York in the 1990s, after researchers said allowing low-level crime such as vandalism to go unpunished could make areas more susceptible to serious crime.
Mr Street also said lack of opportunities contributed to crime rates, including young people who were the not excluded from school or left without any training or employment to go to.
“Those who are most susceptible to violent crime are sort of falling out of some of the other insitutons. They are not feeling a commitment to society.”
Highlighting the number of young people not in education, employment or training – known as NEET – he said: “That whole piece around exclusions from schools. If you look at the number of 17-year-olds who are going into NEET positions, there is a huge correlation between that and violent crime.”
Mr Street, a Conservative, said he welcomed last year’s government announcement that funding for West Midlands Police will increase from £444.1 million to £460 million, an increase of 3.5 per cent.
West Midlands Police has also been told it can increase the precept added to council tax bills by £24-a-year, which would bring the precept for a Band D property up to £152.55 each year.
Mr Street said he had called in the past for the Government to increase funding for West Midlands Police.
He said: “I hope I have been consistent in saying West Midlands Police do need more resources.”
Welcoming the Government’s latest announcement, he said: “There is movement there, and it’s a question of how that money is used to make sure we do have that attitude around those offences.”