YP Comment: Police response to car crime

WEST Yorkshire Police's coyness about car crime is understandable in some regards '“ the priority afforded to each offence does depend on the specific circumstances, the quality of evidence that might be ascertainable and the likelihood of the offender being apprehended.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Feb 2017, 11:03 BST
Updated 3rd Feb 2017, 11:06 BST

Yet, while the police do have to prioritise the allocation of resources, the public are irked that officers are no longer sent out routinely to such incidents. The results of the force’s latest victim satisfaction survey reiterates this unhappiness.

However, the constabulary, and its relatively new chief constable Dee Collins, need to appreciate the importance of transparency, even more so after the South Yorkshire force was left overwhelmed by the confluence of a succession of scandals, past and present, which are proving such a distraction to all those officers tasked with rebuilding trust.

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Policing is at its best when it is a partnership between officers and the public. Rather than risking the alienation of victims who, as taxpayers, believe they are entitled to a police callout, perhaps there needs to be a greater focus on preventing car crime. And, inevitably, that requires all forces, including West Yorkshire, being more open and accountable.