Police chief praised for common sense after saying 'all crime is a priority' | UK | News

One police chief was praised for his common sense, saying: “I have a policy that says crime is a priority.”

In Norfolk, burglaries, car thefts, vandalism and shoplifting have dropped dramatically thanks to a return to basics.

Overall crime has fallen by 12%, a trend that is being highlighted by the public.

Police Commissioner Paul Sanford said, “Our communities expect and deserve exceptional service. Success depends on getting the basics right, such as responding to emergency calls promptly, investigating crimes thoroughly, taking responsibility for the job at hand, supporting victims and being visible.”

Norfolk is currently the police force with the best records for catching and prosecuting shoplifters – a crime that has increased exponentially during the cost of living crisis – with prosecution rates six times higher than the Metropolitan Police, which comes in last place.

In 2018, it became the first police department in the country to lay off all 150 police officers to support the local community.

The number of civil servants currently stands at 1,899, compared to 1,549 in September 2013.

In an exclusive report for the Daily Express, Mr Sanford said: “I am confident we can restore public confidence in policing by focusing on the things the public expect from us: keeping their communities and main streets safe, and bringing offenders to justice.

“Crime solving is becoming increasingly complex, the criminal justice system is facing major challenges and the standards and culture of policing are under constant scrutiny. In recent years we have seen some truly atrocious cases which have caused immeasurable damage to confidence in policing. I welcome tighter scrutiny and don't think there is a police chief in this country who doesn't do this.

“However, the relentless surveillance comes at the expense of the thousands of police officers across the country who go to work every day to pursue criminals, take dangerous people off our streets, protect the public and serve our communities. The horrific acts of a minority obscure the brave and heroic acts that police officers perform every day.”

Current figures show that his force is among the fastest responsive in the country, answering 88.5% of emergency calls in less than 10 seconds.

Of all 43 police forces in England and Wales, Norfolk has had the highest prosecution rate for shoplifting over the past five years.

In the period up to March this year, the prosecution rate for shoplifting was 31.7 percent, compared with 4.9 percent for the Metropolitan Police.

If one also includes extrajudicial punishments and admissions of further thefts, the crime clearance rate rises to 46 percent.

Conservative MP Esther McVey said: “The police in too many areas are more concerned with being politically correct than supporting their political beliefs. It is refreshing to know that there are still chief constables who recognise that their job is to protect people from crime, arrest criminals and gather evidence to ensure criminals are locked up. We need more chief constables like Paul Sanford.”

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs' Council's lead on acquisitive crime, said: “Retail crime can have a significant impact on victims. That is why we are committed to working hard to reduce theft rates and prosecute offenders, particularly repeat and habitual offenders who cause suffering to society.”

“The creation of a dedicated team within Opal, the national police intelligence agency for organised procurement crime, [is focusing] to combat the organised crime of shoplifting. The team gathers intelligence reports from police forces, retailers and other organisations, enabling them to establish the links between groups that often operate across multiple regions, identify the most dangerous and prolific offenders and work with police to bring these individuals to justice.

“The team has already had a number of successes, identifying offenders from surveillance images using the facial recognition feature of the national police database and producing reports showing that groups in many police districts are using the same tactics to target similar retailers. By identifying individuals, we can then find the vehicles they use and alert local police forces to keep an eye out for them as they enter their districts.

“Thefts by these groups often amount to tens of thousands of pounds, which obviously has a huge impact on the retail sector.”