WHETHER it is the thief stealing lead from a church roof, copper from underground cables, or stock from a looted shop, people commit crimes because the police are engaged in lesser priorities. Crime does in fact pay quite well in such circumstances.
As long as the police behave like glorified traffic wardens, criminals will continue, in some cases quite literally, to get away with murder. Up to 80 cases of rape and murder remain unsolved in the Oxford area alone.
Meanwhile the police enjoy luxuries not found in other emergency services: closing police stations for the night is probably one of their worst excesses. Playing in the snow on Boar’s Hill comes a close second. Imagine the public outcry if the fire brigade committed the same indulgences while children were burning in their own homes.
No, the police answer to no one but themselves and, in doing so, abuse their power to unprecedented extremes.
The Government needs to lay out proper priority plans for the police across the country. Until they do this, crime will continue out of control.
CLAUDE MYERS, Waterperry Road, Holton
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