Random Good (?) Ideas department
In Boulder Colorado, and doubtless other places in the US, the local daily carries a crime map showing where offences have been committed, ranging from serious crimes down to the appearance of graffiti. Given that crimes are supposed to reported to the police (although this seems an increasingly pointless exercise) and the Plod also collect their own data, what about having something similar over here? It would be a great deal more use than those yellow 'did you see anything? boards that the Met put up, and doubtless could be put up on websites like this too. This would get information about crime hotspots into the public domain, without being unduly sensationalist and armed with my one man obsession about elected police chiefs, we might actually get policing that responds to what the public wants, as opposed to that of chiefs sucking up to the government etc and angling for promotion to head more 'prestigious' forces.
Ideas, opinions etc, please.
In Boulder Colorado, and doubtless other places in the US, the local daily carries a crime map showing where offences have been committed, ranging from serious crimes down to the appearance of graffiti. Given that crimes are supposed to reported to the police (although this seems an increasingly pointless exercise) and the Plod also collect their own data, what about having something similar over here? It would be a great deal more use than those yellow 'did you see anything? boards that the Met put up, and doubtless could be put up on websites like this too. This would get information about crime hotspots into the public domain, without being unduly sensationalist and armed with my one man obsession about elected police chiefs, we might actually get policing that responds to what the public wants, as opposed to that of chiefs sucking up to the government etc and angling for promotion to head more 'prestigious' forces.
Ideas, opinions etc, please.
Labels: Policing, United States
This entry was posted
on Monday, July 31, 2006 at 11:40 am.
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I tell you I for one couldn't agree more about doing something so that police chiefs live in fear of us and not the politically correct left wing media.
If that means electing them,then so be it.It'd be an end to speed cameras where there's no need--and before some wingnut comes on and bangs on about speed killing,so does crack cocaine and they do fuck all about that where I am.
We might actually see some on foot too.How reassuring.
Not a one-man obsession, Croydonian. I lived in the US and I know that electing police chiefs works.
I know Verity, it just sometimes seems like I'm howling in the wilderness on that topic in these parts.
Aren't infowars the same lot who think that Bohemian Grove is the epicentre of some bizarre devil worshipping cult rather than a lot of silly ageing corporate blue bloods pretending they are still at college? Jon Ronson's chapter on Bohemian Grove in 'Adventures with Extremists' is laugh out loud funny.
With you again Croydonian.
Over 20 years ago we used to get detailed crime stats by beat and type for the Moseley/Kings Heath area of South Birmingham. I think it was delivered to everyone in the Neighbourhood Watch. Obviously this information was fascinating to the 10 year old Praguetory. I think the idea got binned but I could be wrong.
I share the view that more information on public service is almost always a good thing - no matter how unpalatable that may be.
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