Besides the shock news about how many serving police officers in Hertfordshire have criminal records (including theft and fraud!), I was also 'surprised' to see the results of their bi-annual drink drive clamp down, for summer and Christmas. In the summer, they found 14% of drivers stopped were over the limit. At Christmas it was 11% and they were proud to state that this was a big drop! We're supposed to be reassured?
The fact that 1 in 10 motorists are over the limit makes me think it's time to get out there doing more stops throughout the year. How the hell are they happy to do so few stops when it's obvious that people are chancing it all the time. What's more, I am sure many people are aware of more checks at Christmas, but what about the chancers who drive home drunk just for a mile or two from the pub/club/gym every night?
I gave up reporting small crimes (stolen property from front garden for example) as the police aren't interested. They wouldn't even record my car being keyed as a crime as there were no witnesses, and when I had my road tax stolen by a backstreet motor mechanic (the only person who had access to the car other than me, as no windows were broken or the doors forced), they said it was quicker for me to report it lost than stolen. Less paperwork and I'd get a replacement just the same. Yet, if this mechanic was stealing MY tax disc, how many others did he take? They didn't even want to know where I'd gone, so clearly didn't want to investigate later on either.
Finally, when the same car was broken into a few months later, leaving broken glass everywhere and blood on the side of the car (DNA?), they didn't even come out. It was a Sunday, so I guess SOCO wasn't working. The car was written off as a result of them breaking in, popping the bonnet and taking loads of parts (old car, so someone obviously needed lots of bits and didn't want to pay for new ones).
So, I am never surprised to see crime figures going down. Why would anyone bother to call the police these days? For a while I thought I'd report absolutely everything so that the figures didn't drop, but the civilians at the front desk now make you feel so unwelcome, or that you're a troublemaker/moany old git, that I'd only want to go to a police station for a VERY serious crime they can't ignore (murder, rape etc) or if I'm brought in having reached my 'Falling Down' moment.
