Police on-the-spot crime f ines down by 150,000 a year

POLICE forces have been accused of ‘ tolerating’ low- level crime after a dramatic 87 per cent fall in the number of on-the-spot fines they issue.

The quantity of penalty notices handed out for crimes such as criminal damage, drinking in publ i c and l i ttering has fallen in nine years from 176,123 to just 22,835 last year.

Campaigners have accused forces of regarding anti- social crimes as ‘no more than a distraction’.

But police chiefs say the huge drop is down to there being 20,000 fewer officers now compared with 2010 along with other measures being introduced.

Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird said: ‘ These figures show an alarming fall in the issuing of penalty notices to those causing a nuisance or distress to others.

‘We already know more people are experiencing or witnessing anti-social behaviour.

‘There is a genuine concern that this type of behaviour is being tolerated by the police as they regard it as no more than a distraction.’

The figures come from the Ministry of Justice court proceedings database. Although the fines are issued ‘on the spot’, the payments are registered on the court system.

In 2013 fines for ‘ higher- tier’ offences such as harassment and criminal damage were increased from £80 to £90.

Fines for l ower tier crimes, including trespassing and littering, went up from £50 to £60. Last year only 397 fines were handed out for criminal damage – compared with 11,956 in 2009. Retail thefts under £ 100 fell from 49,445 penalties given in 2009 to 3,567 last year.

Fines for being drunk and disorderly fell from 44,781 to 8,583 over the same period, while just 93 penalties were issued for littering last year, compared with 1,171 in 2009.

In June it was revealed that forces were resolving growing numbers of crimes by handing out ‘ community resolution notices’, an informal punishment which means an offender has no criminal record.

These can be issued without supervisor authorisation and can include an offender apologising to the victim, paying compensation or repairing any damage caused.

Between 2014 and 2018, t he notices were given out for 151,000 theft offences, including 3,555 for burglaries and 309 for aggravated vehicle taking.

Officers also handed out 58,280 community resolution notices for criminal damage in the four years to 2018. Dame Vera, a Solicitor General under Gordon Brown, is calling for t he new Victims’ Law to offer more support and rights to victims of anti-social behaviour.

She said: ‘Persistent anti-social behaviour can have a significant impact on victims and the communities in which they live.

‘These figures clearly show the extent to which police officers have scaled back in challenging those who behave badly.’

Harry Fletcher, of the Victims’ Rights Campaign, said: ‘ This is clearly a reflection of police having to prioritise more serious crimes which is understandable given they are 20,000 officers down on what they were a few years ago. But these crimes do have a huge impact on some victims.’

Between 2010 and March this year, police numbers dropped by 20,600 to 123,600, the lowest level since the early 1980s.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for anti-social behaviour, said the drop in on-the-spot fines was due to a fall in officer numbers and new legislation being introduced to deal with anti-social behaviour, such as Community Protection Notices.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The Government is delivering on the people’s priorities by recruiting 20,000 extra police officers to tackle crime and disorder.’

‘These crimes have a huge impact on victims’