Like so much shouted about the Metropolitan Police being the largest most efficient and oldest police force in Great Britain these claims are not true except the first. The idea of a civic force to keep order on the streets was pioneered in Glasgow arguably in 1789 but not until 1800 did the establishing Act receive Royal Assent. The aims of its founders were absorbed forty years later by Robert Peel and the Met was established in 1829. And to this day the louder the trumpeting of Scotland Yard the quicker its shine is covered in ordure.
In more recent times 1994 the New York Police Commissioner Bratton and Mayor Giuliani coined the term zero tolerance as their policy for reducing the criminal activity which had exploded in the preceding decade and was infecting many activities within the city especially commerce and tourism. The example used was that every minor incident of law breaking eg broken windows would be investigated and the offenders seen to be punished. Building on that policy increasingly successful prosecutions against career criminals produced a real reduction in serious crime. Between 1990 and 1999 homicide dropped 73%, burglary 66%, assault 40%, robbery 67%, and vehicle theft 73%. Whilst employment and standard of living rose in the 1990s contributing to crime reduction there is no doubt that a significant factor was the expanded NYPD and a crack down on all crime including minor offending.
From a personal point of view I well remember driving along 5th Avenue in 1995 and seeing a police officer at every corner of each block and another at every cross road.
And so it is mid afternoon on the last Sunday in March and my son and his fiancee are strolling near Leicester Square in London`s west end when she discovers to her horror that the youth who had rudely brushed by her a couple of minutes previously had stolen her iPhone. After that initial shock they reacted by doing what is advised in such a situation and summarised below:-
1. Report the Theft:
File a Police Report:
Immediately file a police report with the Metropolitan Police Service (or your local police force). This is crucial for potential insurance claims and for helping the police if they can track down your phone.
Contact Your Mobile Provider:
Call your mobile network provider (e.g., Vodafone, EE, O2, Three) and report the theft. They can block the phone and SIM card to prevent unauthorized use and help with a replacement SIM.
2. Secure Your Accounts:
Change Your Passwords:
Change the passwords for all your important accounts, including email, banking, social media, and any other accounts accessible from your phone.
Contact Your Bank:
Inform your bank about the theft and request that they freeze your cards and any mobile banking access to prevent unauthorized transactions.
Notify Insurance Providers:
If you have insurance that covers your phone, contact your insurance company to file a claim.
3. Additional Steps:
Remote Wipe (If Necessary):
If you suspect your phone is in the wrong hands and you can't recover it, consider remotely wiping the data to protect your personal information.
Track Your Phone (If Possible):
If your phone has a tracking feature (like Find My iPhone or Find My Device on Android), use it to try and locate it.
Note Down Device Information:
If you haven't already, write down your phone's make, model, serial number, and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number. This information can be helpful for police and insurance purposes.
Using my son`s phone they did most of the above and within half an hour had traced the phone`s location to one of two flats at WC2H ### about a short brisk walk away from their current position. Of course they had told the police immediately of this location but the Metropolitan Police officer told them they were unable to assist. In 2023 it`s estimated that in London alone 64,000 mobile phones were stolen and between July 2023 and July 2024 84,000 were stolen. Criminologists suggest that organised criminal gangs are at work supplying ready markets in China and other countries.
The above tale of woe is a further example of how slowly and steadily British society is disintegrating and democratic political choices seem incapable of providing answers. From a prime minister accepting funds from a Labour donor to enable him to have designer glasses and suitable clothing to MPs guilty of assault via additional MP`s expenses to keep a dog and myriad other examples to corruption, misconduct and malfeasance in public office by senior police officers, faith in the justice system is at an all time low.
Just how long can a society hold out against such pressures as above which are but a microcosm of the failures of government going back half a century. Rome wasn`t built in a day but the decline of the Western Roman Empire is generally considered to have begun in the late 4th century AD with significant events marking this period. While there is no single date that signifies the start of the decline several key factors and events contributed to it:
Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 AD): This period saw political instability, economic decline, and military defeats, which weakened the empire significantly.
Division of the Empire (285 AD): Emperor Diocletian's division of the Roman Empire into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires created administrative challenges and set the stage for divergent paths.
Barbarian Invasions: From the late 4th century onward, various tribes, including the Visigoths and Vandals, began invading Roman territories, leading to significant territorial losses.
Sack of Rome (410 AD): The Visigoths, led by Alaric, famously sacked Rome, symbolizing the empire's vulnerability.
Fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD): The traditional date for the fall of the Western Roman Empire is 476 AD, when the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic king Odoacer.
Overall, the decline was a gradual process influenced by internal strife, economic troubles and external pressures.
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