Well perhaps if they catch one person, and actually punish them and send them to prison, then it might deter others from doing it.

I would take a guess that most of the thieves are well aware that even if they're caught, the worst they'll get is a slap on the wrist!

J wrote:
Well perhaps if they catch one person, and actually punish them and send them to prison, then it might deter others from doing it. I would take a guess that most of the thieves are well aware that even if they\'re caught, the worst they\'ll get is a slap on the wrist!

Oh honestly J- surely you've seen these Police/ Camera/ Chav/ Cheap TV Filler shows?

You know- the ones where a ludicrously 'serious' presenter attempts to lend a bit of gravitas to crime voyeurism?

Where he (or she) intones that the Police scrambled six patrol cars, two helicopters, deployed a 'stinger'; located the 14 year old hiding in a bedroom after crashing the car into the local estate; dealt with the overweight, tattooed, chain smoking mum with the bleached 'facelift' pony tail shouting that 'He's been in f*cking bed all f*cking day! You lot just f*cking pick on him- why don't you catch REAL f*cking criminals!' before the viewer is informed that this 'successful operation' resulted in a fine to be paid at 2p a month out of his benefits and half an hour's community service that no-one will enforce.

DanOxford wrote:
Where he (or she) intones that the Police scrambled six patrol cars, two helicopters, deployed a 'stinger'; located the 14 year old hiding in a bedroom after crashing the car into the local estate; dealt with the overweight, tattooed, chain smoking mum with the bleached 'facelift' pony tail shouting that 'He's been in f*cking bed all f*cking day! You lot just f*cking pick on him- why don't you catch REAL f*cking criminals!' before the viewer is informed that this 'successful operation' resulted in a fine to be paid at 2p a month out of his benefits and half an hour's community service that no-one will enforce.

lol you need to get out more! I'm too busy watching serious documentaries about fat toddlers and page 3 teenagers to watch serious police stuff!!

We have such a crap justice system in this country! It's a complete and utter joke!

Shame they can't just scrap all this ASBO and community service stuff, and build proper jails where they get a bed and toilet in their cell and nothing else, and have to spend 8 hours a day being educated in how to behave in society, and perhaps some school stuff too!

Perhaps the police/other law enforcement agencies should target the scrap metal traders/recipients of these materials. A while back metal thefts were reported here and one metal dealer said that people would even take such to him in shopping trollies. Surely in that case he should er on the caution on the mode of transport. Did they just happen to see this lump of metal near an abandoned trolley. Will there be a market for the metal from shopping trollies and wire basket? Where does this dreadful crime stop and causes such misery and inconvenience to its victims?

Its not the police who let criminals off,its the justice system(courts).Im sure the police are sick of criminals getttig let off or ordered to pay 5 pound a week.

David wrote:
Perhaps the police/other law enforcement agencies should target the scrap metal traders/recipients of these materials. A while back metal thefts were reported here and one metal dealer said that people would even take such to him in shopping trollies. Surely in that case he should er on the caution on the mode of transport. Did they just happen to see this lump of metal near an abandoned trolley. Will there be a market for the metal from shopping trollies and wire basket? Where does this dreadful crime stop and causes such misery and inconvenience to its victims?

David,
I think you'll find the police already are! It was in the news only last month, raiding scrap yards and holding the owner of the yard to account for all of the scrap! It's the court system that sucks! It does however show how low some people will go!