I was watching an old Mock The Week over the weekend and one of the contestants jokingly ( I think ) suggested something along the lines that the police be paid commission on the value of stolen goods recovered. Initially I gave a wry smile but then I thought what a good idea that might be. Now, at present your lovely Duke with a value of £10k is nicked and the police are too busy too look for it properly. You make a claim and are paid out by your insurance co minus any excess and undoubtedly with a higher premium when you renew. Under the new Police Incentive Subsidy Scheme (PISS for short ) they would possibly look a little more diligently and may even find it. You would be delighted to get your bike back, not have to claim, not have an increased premium but pay the relevant force perhaps 2.5% of the value. 2.5% of all stolen recovered goods can buy a lot of coffee and donuts ! Any one here think it is a great idea or a terrible one ? I`m open to persuasion either way if someone can come up with compelling arguments.
It would be like paying firemen per fire extinguished. You may find a lot more fires around Christmas and holiday season...
The fact that a few forces don't attend burglary dwellings and commercial burglaries, that they are hard pressed to nick a shop lifter and push towards civil recovery schemes. That common assaults don't count towards figures, that road policing units have been decimated and major investigation units investigate murders as opposed to a ds and 2 dc's means it wouldn't get a look in. They still wouldn't have the resources.
Building in perverse incentives by rewarding people for increases in crime is a very, very bad idea. The worst idea I've heard for some time - and that's saying something. You do know the things they say on Mock The Week are jokes, right?
You lot are so half empty thinkers. This is rewarding for the returm of goods, not theft of them Therefore, more resources spent on getting our shizzle back
If some arsehole nicks my bike I want it written off and a new one thank you very much. By all means incentivise plod to catch whoever nicked it, then cut their gonads off, but isn't that why we pay them ?
Why do you want to cut plod's gonads off after they've caught the thief? Mind you, it's a better plan than than cutting them off before they catch the thief.
