BURGLARIES - 13PC
in violent crimes that caused injury and a 67pc rise in violence without injury. You’re also most likely to be a victim of burglary in Greater Manchester, with 12 crimes for every 1,000 people reported in 2017, compared to eight per 1,000 people across England and Wales as whole. The ONS said burglary cases are thought to be well reported by victims and recorded by police, so the figures are likely to reflect a genuine rise.
Greater Manchester’s top cop Ian Hopkins said there were a number of reasons for the spike, including improved methods of recording offences and the sharp rise in internet-related crime such as online grooming.
As the M.E.N. reported last week, a mum claimed she was told by police they would not investigate after her 12-year-old daughter was battered in an Oldham park because it was ‘not cost effective.’
Victoria Woods said a Greater Manchester Police officer also suggested she should resolve the issue herself by visiting the parents of the attacker - and blamed the government for a lack of police resources.
Her daughter, Isabelle, was left with scratches, bruises and covered in mud after being punched and kicked at Wildmoore Avenue Park, in Holts, by a group of 15 youths in an attack that was filmed on a mobile phone.
Victoria, 31, described GMP’s response as ‘diabolical’ and made a formal complaint.
She told the M.E.N.: “I got a call the next day from a lady who tried to tell me very nicely that because it wasn’t a major crime and it was ‘just kids fighting,’ in her words.
“She said the inspector had decided it was not ‘cost effective’ to investigate it in terms of the cost and manpower hours.”
Supt Danny Inglis said because an ‘assessment deemed that there wasn’t an immediate threat, harm or risk posed to the victim or the wider community’ it was decided it wouldn’t be in the ‘public’s interest to continue with the investigation.’ TURN TO PAGE 6 FOR MORE