British taxpayers have been left counting the cost of the Conservatives’ failure on crime, as the hit to the economy rose to £95 billion in the last year, up from £59 billion in 2015/16, according to the Labour Party. Shadow Policing Minister Sarah Jones said that the figures show “the huge impact crime has on our economy”, as well as the “devastating impact on people and their communities”.
Labour updated the Government’s 2018 study on the ‘cost of crime’, which shows that crimes against individuals are estimated to have cost £72.5bn, up from £50.1bn in 2015/16, driven by increases in homicide, violence, rape and robbery. While costs for crimes against businesses have more than doubled, from £8.7bn in 2015/16 to £22.8bn in the year to September 2020, driven by increases in theft and robbery, says Labour.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was due to visit Bedfordshire today to meet local shopkeepers affected by crime alongside Labour’s Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidate, Dr David Michael, and Sarah Jones; ahead of the PCC elections in England and Wales on Thursday, May 6, postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sarah Jones said: “Under the Conservatives, criminals have never had it so good – and it’s law-abiding taxpayers who are picking up the bill. Crime has a devastating impact on people and their communities, but these figures show the huge impact it has on our economy as well. The vast scale of this increased cost shows how out of control crime has got under this Conservative government. Rising theft and robbery in particular are incredibly traumatic for victims and cause real financial damage.
“The Conservatives must take responsibility for these massive rises, following their devastating cuts to policing and preventative services.”
Similarly Labour has complained of an increase in the number of people experiencing ASB over the past five years. Labour is also complaining of cuts in police officers, PCSOs and police staff.
For more on the Conservative PCC candidate in Bedfordshire, Festus Akinbusoye, visit https://www.conservatives.com/.
For more on the PCC elections visit https://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/. You have to register by April 19 to vote in the PCC and local government elections on May 6.
More on the PCC elections in the May print edition of Professional Security magazine.
