A recent article discusses the continuing increase in violent crime in England. So what are the bobbies doing with their time?

According to Cronaca, British law enforcement seem to be focusing on minor traffic violations, in draconian ways. In fact:

Last Sunday Martin Narey, the head of the prison service, admitted that jails are now overwhelmed by motorists locked up for minor violations. “Custody rates for some petty offences, including motoring, have quadrupled in the last 10 years,” said Narey. “They don’t need to be in jail in such numbers.”

Underlining his point, it emerged last week that in 2002 15,059 people were jailed for motoring offences, compared with 10,184 for burglary.

Oh good heavens. Serious crimes have doubled, and English prisions are bulging with speeders and "rolling stop" offenders? The quoted article begins with a man who is doing two weeks in "gaol" for going 38mph in a 30mph zone and protesting the fine.

Goes to show that police will do what's convenient and short-term profitable, not necessarily what's beneficial in the long term. And speaking of profits (emphasis mine) ...

More worrying still is the fact that later this year council employees will be given a range of punitive powers until now reserved for police officers. Under the Traffic Management Bill they will be able to fine drivers for a wide range of minor offences, from making illegal right turns to parking in the wrong direction on a one-way street.

Moreover, as with council-run parking wardens, their duties are likely to be contracted out to private companies. Local authorities will also be allowed to keep a percentage of any fines issued, increasing fears that the powers will be used to raise revenue....

With comparative fines so much lower across Europe and the US than in Britain, it is not surprising that government revenues from speeding are also significantly higher here. In France, with a similar population to Britain, 1.3m speeding fines were imposed in 2002, earning the government £8.4m. In Britain during the same year the Treasury received an estimated £35m from speeding fines.

As Thomas Sowell says, look at the incentives. What are you encouraging? What are you discouraging?

To the English: Again, you have my sympathy. Perhaps you need to change your government from Labor to Tory. To others: Be extremely careful when driving in England.

Further Reading

• Crime in Britian, 2003, Random Observations
• Crime and punishment in the UK, Cronaca
• Hassled at Every Turn: British drivers get harshest fines, Times Online
• Traffic officer catches 329 drivers in 5 hours, Sheffield Today
• Prisons are 'clogged up' with drivers, Mirror.co.uk