Why won’t the PSNI stop pretending it can tackle all crime? |
IT is clear from the reaction to last week’s story about flags that many people see the the PSNI as a sort of NHS for crime – a service that is at least aiming to treat all ills, even if it fails or makes people wait for years.
Politicians and commentators who ought to know better discussed the PSNI’s new policy on flags as if 6,000 officers can attend 300,000 lampposts.
That is not how policing works, nor can it be, unless you want to give it an NHS-sized budget.
The PSNI has to ration and prioritise its resources to an extent that makes it more like a single ambulance than a network of hospitals.
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It turns up here and there, as much for reassurance as to meet demand.
Public confusion on this is understandable when the rationing is scarcely admitted, let alone explained.
The PSNI encourages the perception that it aims to tackle all crime, all the time.
In reality, only about 40% of crime is even reported to the police, according to Stormont’s official crime survey, mainly because victims think nothing will be done about it.
Of the 40% that is reported, less than a third results in a sanction, such as a charge, summons or caution.
While........