This article was first published on Lib Dem Voice. The scenes on Clapham Common last night as the police broke up the vigil for Sarah Everard were a disgrace and undermine the fundamental principle of policing by consent. Leading Lib Dems have called on the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to resign. It was not a protest. It was a statement of solidarity with a woman who had been abducted from the streets of London and murdered. It was a declaration that women should be safe on the streets. Lib Dem Voice editor Caron Lindsay told of her personal experiences yesterday. The UK’s tradition of policing by consent is being replaced by policing by authority. Legislation now in parliament looks set to reinforce authority at the expense of the fundamental right of freedom to protest. A tectonic shift in the relationship between protesters, governments and the police is underway. We […]
Tag: policing
Trends in local crime: Clun is one of the quietest places under the sun and Oswestry is the county’s crime hotspot
Recent press headlines screamed that some crime is rising nationally, especially violent crime. What is the situation in our neighbourhood and county? We are overall a low crime county. But we have hotspots. Ludlow is mid-ranking on the crime scale with the northern towns experiencing higher crime rates, especially in their central districts. Deeply rural towns like Church Stretton and Clun are so much quieter. Reported crime is increasing at half the rate in Ludlow compared to Shropshire as a whole, and at just a quarter of the national rate. Any level crime is unwelcome and there are some troublesome hotspots around the county. But overall, Ludlow and Shropshire remain safe places to live.
Yet another burglary in our town – we have a 44% higher burglary rate than the rest of Shropshire
The night before last, Busybodies Childcare Centre next to the police station in Lower Galdeford was broken into. Fortunately, nothing was stolen though a door was badly damaged. The police response, when the crime was reported this morning, was swift. An officer came from Kidderminster and scene of crime officers were also dispatched to the site. It is always bad when a crime occurs. People feel violated and less confident. Along with businesses, they are also hit in the pocket. It is a shame then, that Ludlow has a higher rate of crime per head than the rest of Shropshire.
We have Eastern European beggars on the streets of Ludlow – what should we do?
In recent weeks, Eastern Europeans have appeared on Ludlow’s streets. They are said to be Romanian and sit on Church Street and Tower Street. They beg with empty coffee cups. These beggars are not homeless in a conventional sense. They are clean and have no baggage or sleeping bag. They arrive and depart Ludlow by car. But the people involved could still be vulnerable. What should we do?
Crime and safety to feature at Ludlow and Clee meeting on 2 March
There will be an opportunity to asks questions and express concerns about crime and safety at a public meeting in Ludlow on 2 March. The main guest of the evening will be West Mercia’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Tracey Onslow. She will talk about how the commissioner’s office and West Mercia Police work to reduce crime and fear of crime. The meeting will also discuss antisocial behaviour and continuing problems with young people racing around the town centre and other streets.