Criminal kingpins to feel ‘full force of the state’
MISOGYNY ALLEGATIONS should be recorded by police, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has claimed, just a day after one of the country’s most senior officers argued that forces are too stretched to take on all “desirable and deserving” issues.
Ms Abbott said “hate-filled” letters, including rape threats, are received daily at her office, and police had visited her this week to collect some of the latest.
But she added that forces should not be expected to “pick and choose” between crimes, and called on the Government to provide proper resources to officers.
Speaking at the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners summit yesterday, the Labour MP referenced remarks made by NPCC chairwoman Sara Thornton on Wednesday.
Ms Thornton, a former chief constable of Thames Valley Police, said forces must focus on catching burglars and violent offenders rather than recording incidents that are not crimes.
Ms Abbott said: “As usual, Sara spoke robust common sense but what I would say is, it’s not a question of de-prioritising hate crime for instance.
“I know Sara wasn’t actually saying that. But it is a question of saying that the police should not have to pick and choose between crimes.
“If society sets certain objectives, if society wants to promote certain behavioural norms, then it is for Government to provide the resources so the police can play its part.
“The police cannot pick and choose between crimes.”
Asked during a question-andanswer session if she thought allegations of misogyny should be recorded by police, she said: “Just yesterday the police came to my office to collect some of the letters that we receive on a daily basis, threatening rape, threatening violence, hate-filled letters.
“I am in favour, because it is the right thing to do, to take the most serious action against hate crime. But we cannot give the police more responsibilities without providing the resources.”
In July, chief constables debated whether allegations such as misogyny should be logged even when no crime is committed.
On Wednesday, the Home Office launched a campaign to highlight examples of potential hate crimes. The Government has commissioned a review to examine whether laws should be extended to cover offences motivated by hostility towards a victim’s sex or age.
The news comes after Ms Thornton warned forces are too stretched to take on all “desirable and deserving” issues, such as logging misogyny reports even when no offence has been committed.
Calling for a “refocus on core policing”, she also said she is “unconvinced” it is appropriate to commit significant resources investigating allegations against the dead.
At the opening of the joint conference hosted by the NPCC and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Ms Thornton said core policing is “seriously stretched”.
The former Thames Valley chief constable said: “While I understand those who have been harmed seek answers, I remain unconvinced that it is appropriate to commit significant resources investigating allegations against those who have died.”
She told the conference in London that investigating genderbased hate incidents and allegations against those who have died are not “bad things to do”, but added: “They just cannot be priorities for a service that is overstretched.”
Addressing the summit, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said crime has changed “faster than we could ever have anticipated”. He acknowledged forces are “feeling stretched” and pledged to ensure they have the resources they need. CRIMINAL KINGPINS who see themselves as “untouchable” will be relentlessly pursued by the full force of the state, the Government has vowed.
Yesterday it emerged authorities now estimate that serious and organised crime costs the UK at least £37bn annually. Launching a fresh drive to tackle the scourge, Ministers warned its impact could be even greater, as a large amount of the activity remains hidden or under-reported.
Criminals prey on the most vulnerable, target members of the public to defraud and use intimidation to create fear within communities, a Home Office strategy document says.
It adds: “Enabled by their lawyers and accountants, corrupt elites and criminals set up fake companies to help them to hide their profits, fund lavish lifestyles and invest in further criminality.”
The report warns serious and organised criminals have learnt to become more adaptable and resilient, adding: “Some think of themselves as untouchable.
“In some countries overseas, criminals have created safe havens where serious and organised crime, corruption and the state are interlinked and self-serving.”
The assessment also warns that organised criminality, corruption and kleptocracy are “increasingly severe impediments” to the UK’s overseas policy and development objectives.
It says: “They distort and impede inclusive and sustainable economic growth, corrupt the democratic process, threaten legitimate, sustainable livelihoods, damage social cohesion and exacerbate exclusion.”
The Government’s strategy says the “full force of the state” will be mobilised to ensure the gangs are subject to “relentless disruption”. Underpinned by a £48m cash injection, the blueprint outlines measures including a new “lifetime management” regime for keeping track of priority offenders as they pass through the criminal justice system.