Criminal 'Justice' Round-Up

Foreign criminals ? Too much hassle ...

"Two criminals caught on CCTV vandalising cars were not prosecuted because police said they were unemployed foreigners and to bring them to justice would cost too much.

One victim received a letter from Norfolk police saying the pair would not be prosecuted because they were both foreign nationals with no jobs and no income and the case was “not in the public interest to pursue due to the expenses incurred in having a trial”.

The latest case involved the vandalism of at least five cars in Norwich. Two men, aged 19 and 29, were arrested on suspicion of damaging cars but a Norfolk police spokeswoman said that after “careful consideration of all the evidence” it was decided to deal with the offenders by way of a police caution.

Barry Ferguson, 29, one of the victims of the vandals, who are in the country legally, said he was dismayed by the decision. “Even though these people were caught in the act they are getting away with wanton vandalism,” he said.

“I can’t believe the police have spent all this money on CCTV and then have not bothered to charge them.

“There would be outrage if a British person got away with this but it is being justified in this instance because these people are foreign with no income. What is the point of having CCTV if these crimes are ignored?” The police spokeswoman said: “Any decision is tested against the attorney-general’s guidelines. It has absolutely nothing to do with their ethnicity or level of income.

“This caution, whilst not a conviction, is added to their police record and can be cited in court should they reoffend. The victims, if they wish to do so, can pursue compensation through the civil courts.” "

a.k.a. 'you're on your own, mate'.

Foreign criminals ? Think of their human rights ...

"The hunt for hundreds of foreign prisoners who were released instead of being deported is being hampered by the refusal by police to issue "wanted" photographs because they would infringe criminals' "human rights".

Worries about their "right to privacy" are complicating the search for about 250 convicts – including one murderer – who avoided deportation in the scandal that led to Charles Clarke's removal as home secretary in May."

Caught shoplifting ? Take a £80 fixed penalty notice. No criminal record - and do some more shoplifting to pay the fine !

More than 160,000 offenders caught shoplifting, vandalising property or engaging in yobbish behaviour last year were issued with £50 or £80 penalty notices, under a government scheme to speed up justice.

Penalty notices are given for shoplifting, criminal damage, being drunk and disorderly, and 'causing harassment, alarm or distress'

The figure represents offenders spared court in one crime out of every nine that is solved by the police.

The crimes count as having been detected, helping police and the Home Office to meet clear-up targets, even though offenders issued with the notices do not have to admit their guilt and do not end up with a criminal record.

A rapid rise in the use of "penalty notices for disorder" - up by 20 per cent in the past 12 months - has sparked accusations that ministers are in effect "decriminalising" some offences.

You might not even have to pay up. About a third of fines in major cities (London, Manchester, Merseyside) are never paid. Anyone know what the figures are for fixed penalties ?

elsewhere the clueless Prison Service doesn't know how many escaped prisoners there are.

"Almost 700 inmates escaped in the year to last April from England's 15 open jails, Mr Wheatley estimated.

Earlier this week, the Home Office, replying to a Freedom of Information Act request, said 401 of the prisoners remained at large.

But the figures were compiled last May, and Mr Wheatley said he was "embarrassed" to admit he was unable to provide an accurate up-to-date figure because there was no central database for recording numbers of recaptured prisoners. "