Bag's Rants

Crime statistics and real world numbers.

I was reading this article on security van raids. It actually was quite a surprise to me. I know we all talk about crime and how it is going up while at the same time we read government propogandastatistics that say it is going down.

We all talk about percentages and can have differing views with the government on what is real crime such as having a pocket knife or stabbing someone with a ice pick and we all have different views from corporations on copying music for personal use and stealing a CD from a store.

But surely it must hit home when you can read an article that says there was 836 raids on security vans last year. Up year on year since 2003 according to the article. There is a prediction it will break 1000 this year. On average 2.3 per day rising to 2.8 if it hits the 1000 mark.

I would class all of these raids to be serious crimes. Many of these have been armed robberies which even the most dim witted person should class as serious. I felt that the growth in crimes was more people finding it easier to kick the hell out of their neighbours and steal from them but clearly these and armed raids are classed as minor crimes which is the only area that is going up.

What the hell is a serious crime now, Tax evasion, not paying your council tax? Clearly they have decided that this and this, whatever they are, where figures are going down, are classed as serious crimes whereas everything else is classed as minor crimes. Which of course means that it's less of an issue. Nothing to worry about.

Yet at the same time our police now going to fingerprint me in my car if I look funny and detain me for having a pocket knife.

The difference between statistics and real world numbers. What a bunch of incompetents.

posted by Bag @ 4:06 pm