Police should use 'discretion' when deciding whether to prosecute desperate shoplifters amid the cost of living crisis, the new HM chief inspector of constabulary said.
Andy Cooke said that he expects to see a rise in petty crime amid rising poverty levels. Speaking to The Guardian, as inflation hit a 40-year high in April, he said: "I think whenever you see an increase in the cost of living or whenever you see more people dropping into poverty, I think you’ll invariably see a rise in crime.
"And that’s going to be a challenge for policing to deal with."
Speaking about his advice for officers, Mr Cooke added: "What they’ve got to bear in mind is what is the best thing for the community, and that individual, in the way they deal with those issue. And I certainly fully support police officers using their discretion – and they need to use discretion more often."
Mr Cooke said he was not 'giving a carte blanche for people to go out shoplifting', but wanted officers to ensure cases were 'dealt with in the best way possible'. He added that he hoped to pull the current 6 per cent charge rate for recorded offences up to 20 per cent, and to ensure every burglary victim should receive a visit from police.
But in response, policing minister Kit Malthouse has told officers NOT to let shoplifters off if they are stealing food out of desperation during the cost-of-living crisis.
Asked on LBC if ministers will ensure police do not turn a blind eye to shoplifters stealing food, he replied: “Absolutely right. In fact I wrote to chief constables just a year or so ago saying they should not be ignoring those seemingly small crimes.”
What do you make of his comments? Have your say below.
On Mr Cooke’s warning crime will rise due to the cost-of-living crisis, Mr Malthouse added: “I’m afraid I find it a bit old-fashioned thinking. We first of all believe the law should be blind and police officers should operate without fear or favour in prosecution of the law.
“Secondly it’s not quite right to say that as the economy fluctuates so does crime. We’ve seen economic problems in the past, or not, when crime has risen, or not.”
Mr Cooke has worked in policing since 1985 including as Chief Constable of Merseyside Police until taking over as HM chief inspector of constabulary from Sir Tom Winsor in April.
His comments came as data released yesterday (May 18) from the Office for National Statistics showed that inflation hit 9 per cent in the year to April, as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), as energy bills soared during the month. April’s inflation is an increase from 7 per cent in March, and the highest one-year increase in consumer prices since the CPI records began in 1989.
