The Tories - soft on crime as ever

The following quote is from a comment in a national newspaper:

More than 160,000 criminals convicted of an offence but not sent to jail during 2012 had previously committed at least 11 offences. 

Of those 160,000 almost half went on to commit another crime within a year.

That is a vast number of people reoffending.

As ever, behind the statistics lie many sad stories of misery.  For every crime there is a victim.

Although crime appears to be falling, it is fair to say that crime would almost certainly be far lower if the Conservative-led coalition government were to take crime seriously.  Harsh prison sentences for serial offenders would be a good start.  A higher deportation rate would also help, but here again the government is failing.  The following quote is from another national newspaper:

Four years ago David Cameron promised a crackdown after it emerged that more than 11,000 foreign inmates are clogging up our jails. 

But since then almost no progress has been made in bringing the number down. 

The Commons Public Accounts Committee found that the rate foreign inmates are sent home has dropped by 14 per cent over the past four years.

I can remember a time when the Conservative Party had a reputation for being the party of law and order.  They didn't deserve that accolade then, and they still don't deserve it today.

Related previous posts include:
More news from violent Britain
Are you a friend of the cop killer?
Prison staff don't like to be stabbed
The story of a stolen car
A question for Ajmol's father