When you talk crime statistics with an establishment type in the UK, they always try to make things out to be better than they are. These days they have a very hard task.
Crime in the UK is exploding at an alarming rate. According to recently released statistics, it’s the most violent place in the European Union. And those who parry that “it’s not as bad as the U.S.” — as so many do when talking crime statistics — are correct. The UK is worse.
In the UK, there are 2,034 offenses per 100,000 people, way ahead of second-place Austria at 1,677. The U.S. has a rate of 466 crimes per 100,000 residents, Canada has 935, Australia has 92, and South Africa has 1,609.
Yes — the UK has a larger problem with violent crime than South Africa.
Needless to say, government ministers and criminologists are wheeling out the typical excuses of “different legal systems” and differing ways of reporting crime to explain why the UK is leading Europe is such a spectacular way. The minister in charge of such things tried to put a positive spin on it:
Violent crime in England and Wales has fallen by almost a half a peak in 1995 but we are not complacent and know there is still work to do. That is why last year we published “Saving lives. Reducing harm. Protecting the public. An Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11.”
Much of this violence is racial and ethnic in nature. Violence against Jews reached a record 114 incidents in 2007, the highest number since records were begun in 1984.
So what’s going on?
This is a country that has completely disarmed its populace and enacted severe penalties for those engaging in self-defense. Victims who fight back are as likely to end up in court as those that attacked them.
Despite increased home invasion crime, Tony Blair ruled out legislation to aide the homeowner.
Because burglars know they have little to worry about from their victims, burglaries are rising — many resulting in lengthened ordeals for the victims including threats of killing and torture:
Around ten minutes later he came back down. He said, “There’s more piggies aren’t there?” and that it was my fault this was happening. I said there wasn’t any more, then he said “Which one do you want to see die first?”
Tougher laws are in place for those caught carrying knives, but up to 72 people are being threatened or attacked with knives each day:
Alarmingly, the number of offenses has soared by nearly 1,500 since the year before — a six per cent hike. Official police figures show last year’s knife crimes include 250 attempted murders and 7,500 cases of wounding with intent. Cops also recorded 1,800 grievous bodily harm offenses and 13,600 robberies of personal property at knifepoint. There were also 3,300 robberies of business property. But the figures do not include more than 250 fatal stabbings — or thousands of more minor knife offenses.
With a continuing failing economy, and statistics like this, one has to wonder if this is just the start of a period of great violence in the UK Attempts by the decade-old Labour government to tackle “the causes of crime” — as Tony Blair put it — have obviously failed miserably and the UK is clearly more violent than it was under the previous Conservative government.
Measures like taking knife carriers to hospitals to see victims have clearly not worked. And it’s clear that the Anti-Social Behavior Order (restraining orders against young adults who are known troublemakers) of the Labour government has done nothing to quell the violence.
The breakdown of law and order, with its ensuing feeling of helplessness, led to the huge increase in support for the neo-Nazi BNP over the last few years, both at the local and European level. Their tough policies on crime seem to attract those in areas where even the police are wary of entering to deal with the problems.
The question now is whether or not an incoming Conservative government can do anything to stem the tide of violence and lawlessness. But they appear to be backing away from promises. In the face of a brutal murder, Conservative leader David Cameron harped on the usual “social causes” rather than help the victims. As have his colleagues.
A Conservative commenter was less ambiguous:
If a criminal breaks into your home, business, or tries to mug you in the street you should be allowed to use ANY force to defend yourself and family without ending up being thrown in a police cell and being charged with assault. … The current laws lead to an unholy conspiracy between criminals and the police. … If the criminal doesn’t get you because you successfully defend yourself, the police will get you because you are an easy target plus it annoys their public sector DNA that a member of the public can take care of criminals without them.
Law and order will be a huge issue come the next election. These are troubling times in Albion.
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