
	MAJOR ISSUES BULLETIN

2.8million young people admit they have committed a crime.

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Daily Mail

November 25, 2005

James Slack

Home Affairs Editor

ONE in every FOUR youngsters committed a crime last year it has emerged.

Of the 11million young people aged between ten and 25, a survey found 2.8million had offended.

BOYS were worse than GIRLS with 33 per cent confessing to a crime, compared to 18 per cent of females.

Eight per cent were classed as frequent or prolific offenders because they committed six or more crimes in the previous year, the study said.

The offences covered more serious crimes such as theft, burglary, vehicle-related theft, criminal damage, robbery, assaults and drug dealing

The study was based on questioning of 5,000 young people. It found 26 per cent-an estimated 2.8million of the population -admitted committing at least one offence in the previous 12 months.

Some had committed more than one type of crime, with 1.7million admitting to a violent offence. 1.6million to a property crime and 400,000 to drug dealing.

Twelve per cent admitted committing one of the more serious offences of assault causing an injury, robbery or burglary in the past year.

But just one per cent of the 2.8million criminals were jailed, given a community sentence or a fine.

Only three per cent were even arrested, with two per cent of those either being cautioned or escaping prosecution.

The survey also noted a link between drug use and crime among the young.

Some admitted trying illegal drugs as young as eight, with 22 per cent using drugs in the previous year.

Eight per cent had taken a Class A drugs - Ecstasy or cocaine. Of the drug users, 52 per cent had also committed a crime in the past year, compared with 19 per cent who had not used drugs.

The Tories called the figures, slipped out in a raft of crime research yesterday, shocking.

The report’s authors admitted the true figures will actually be higher because the survey did not include people in prisons and the homeless, and therefore ‘omits some high offending groups’.

Experts said the study proved Labour’s tactic of focussing crime-fighting efforts on prolific criminals known to the courts failing.

Richard Garside, director of Crime and Society Foundation, pointed to the fact that so few young criminals were appearing before the courts.

If Ministers were right that a small number of criminals were committing the vast majority of crimes, the figure would be much higher.

He said: “The round-up-the-usual-suspects” approach to crime control is part of the problem, not the solution.

HALF of prolific young criminals undergoing Labour’s flagship community more crimes broke the rules or were thrown off the scheme, a Home Office study reveals.

The Intensive Control and Change Programme was introduced by former Home Secretary David Blunket as an alternative to sending young tearaways to jail.

Criminals aged 18 to 20 -with an average of 27 convictions each - were electronically tagged and ordered to carry out voluntary work and have intensive supervision.

But fewer than half completed their sentence. More than a quarter breached the order - mostly breaking a curfew or missing supervision sessions - but were allowed to continue.

ONE in FIVE had their orders revoked - a third for committing new crimes. The scheme has now been dropped.

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[Font altered-bolding & underlining altered-comments in brackets

How Burglary Kills Pensioners.

Daily Mail

Friday, February 24-2006

Matthew Hickley

Home Affairs Correspondent

PENSIONERS WHO ARE BURGLED are far more likely to die in the months after the crime, research has revealed.

The chances of elderly victims dying or needing to move into a home are nearly two-and-a-half times greater within two years of a BREAK-IN, according to a Home Office study.

The findings come as a separate report revealed that the number of distraction burglaries-where thieves con their way into homes -may be eight times higher than official figures because elderly victims are too embarrassed to report the crime

The health effects of burglary study looked at 80-year-olds living in sheltered accommodation in North Wales. Their health was tracked after a break-in and compared with neighbours of a similar age.

The results showed that the likelihood of burglary victims dying or having to move into a care home within two years was 2.4 times greater than those who had not been targeted. Some victims also became very ‘twitchy’ and many were left housebound.

The distraction burglary report, meanwhile, found that 12 per cent of victims- most of whom are elderly-tell the police, far lower than other forms of burglary. There could be more than

130,000

-victims of such crimes a year, it suggested, rather than the 16,000 officially recorded.

Tory Home Affairs Spokesman Nick Herbert said:

‘The Government claims the public have an exaggerated fear of crime, but this research confirms that the actual level of distraction burglaries is higher than official figures suggest.’

Crime victims are snubbing a scheme where they meet their attackers because the encounters often turn nasty, it is claimed.

In some parts of the country, only 36 per cent of victims asked to take part in the restorative justice programme agree to a meeting, a Home Office study says.

[The fact is that should one put oneself to see a offender -knowing how this Government has allowed so many dangerous offenders particularly burglars to avoid jail or if committed - to leave jail early in order that they can re-offend again and again and again -sometimes hundreds of times with New Labour-but we are now running out of space -but you know -what we mean?]

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[Font altered -bolding & underlining used -comments in brackets]

FEB/06

Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty-2008

Leaders of the European Union's 27 member states meet in Portugal this week to sign what will now become known as the Lisbon Treaty.

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The abolition of Britain
by The Reform Treaty
- Second Reading-Passed by majority of 138

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Veteran parliamentarian TONY BENN speaks of the absolute necessity of a

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