Home Office documents reveal a poll conducted on the government found high fear of crime and low confidence much will be done about it. The leak reveals that the public is not convinced by a series of flagship initiatives by the Boris Johnson administration on law enforcement, such as the Beating Crime plan. It comes despite the government’s efforts to distance itself from a decade of conservative cuts in the police and criminal justice system. Only one in three respondents thought they could tackle crime, her own document notes: “Current crime tackles do not reach the public – only about a third (35%) say they the government’s handling of crime and justice and the awareness of the Beating Crime Plan are low. “ The document, called the Communication Strategy of the Interior Ministry’s Violence Reduction Unit, dates from March and includes polls from February. Boris Johnson has been negotiating his credentials to fight crime, but the government’s own poll, conducted after weeks of outrage over the partygate and government untruths, shows the public did not believe it. Johnson was willing to claim that under his government crime had dropped, falsely claiming in February that it had dropped by 14%. The statistics surveillance service reprimanded him, finding that the data had been presented in a misleading manner. The Interior Ministry document states: “While crime is not necessarily the most ‘top’ concern for the public, it is a constant underground current and, when asked, people feel very strongly about it. “Our most recent poll (conducted in February 2022) shows that 61% believe that crime is on the rise nationally and 51% are concerned about becoming a victim of crime.” The document adds: “Perceptions of crime and levels of concern are largely driven by anecdotal experiences and high-profile media cases. “At the national level, the public is particularly concerned about violent crime, such as stabbing and drug users, and can cite examples from their own lives or the news that supports these concerns.” The document shows the damage the Conservatives have done to their reputation in law and order by reducing the number of police by 20,000. The cuts from 2010 continue to resonate with voters. “Concerns are heightened by the perceived lack of deterrents (eg lack of police resources, inconsistent convictions) for perpetrators,” the document said. It also marks a generation gap in the way crime is handled, with younger people more willing to tackle the underlying causes of the offense and give people a second chance, while older people advocate a more traditional approach to high sentences and imprisonment: “However, “There are some differences of opinion on the most appropriate approach to tackling crime, with younger groups tending to favor rehabilitation and older people leaning towards a more punitive approach.” The planned response to the ministers’ lack of public confidence is not a policy change, but a public relations campaign to convince voters that the government can tackle crime. In a section on communication objectives, he says he wants to increase the number of those who believe the police “have the funding and resources they need.” The government is currently funding 20,000 new officers to replace those cut by the Conservatives, and is well on its way to fulfilling its promise. Other goals set out in the document to stimulate government public opinion include reaching a greater agreement “the government is taking action to tackle crime”, tackling the causes and “increasing confidence in the government’s handling of crime and justice”. . Labor’s Home Affairs spokeswoman Yvette Cooper told the Guardian: “Crime has risen, prosecutions have plummeted, criminals are leaving and victims and communities are frustrated. “The Conservatives are completely failing in any of the basic tasks of any government – to keep communities safe and to do justice. That is why people do not trust the conservative government for the crime. “If Pritty Patel’s response to this incredibly serious problem is a public relations campaign that is utterly shameful and shows how carefree it is with the reality of people’s lives.” The Interior Ministry rejected a request for comment. The pandemic has affected some crime trends. The National Statistics Office said that comparing the year ending in September 2021 with the year ending in September 2019, there was a 14% increase in overall crime, with fraud and computer misuse skyrocketing by 47%. Excluding fraud and computer misuse, crime was reduced by 14%, with theft reduced by 18%. Richard Garside, director of the Center for Crime and Justice Studies, said low sentencing rates and partying undermined confidence in the government’s ability to commit crimes. He said: “A government that’s seemingly indifferent to obeying its own rules should not be surprised if many members of the public do not have confidence in its approach to crime.”
