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Stinging nettle and flying biscuit cases see Norfolk's violent crime rate rise Stinging nettle and flying biscuit cases see Norfolk's violent crime rate rise
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Norfolk police have started recording attacks involving flying biscuits and stinging nettles as serious violent crimes, echoing Monty Python’s sketch of the Spanish Inquisition.Norfolk police have started recording attacks involving flying biscuits and stinging nettles as serious violent crimes, echoing Monty Python’s sketch of the Spanish Inquisition.
The examples of a man being hit with a biscuit and a child being brushed with a stinging nettle, recorded as cases of actual bodily harm, lie behind a 14% rise in violent crime in Norfolk, according to the county’s police and crime commissioner.The examples of a man being hit with a biscuit and a child being brushed with a stinging nettle, recorded as cases of actual bodily harm, lie behind a 14% rise in violent crime in Norfolk, according to the county’s police and crime commissioner.
Stephen Bett said they were among numerous examples of incidents that Norfolk police had recorded as violent crimes in the last 12 months because of a change in the national standards on recording violent crime.Stephen Bett said they were among numerous examples of incidents that Norfolk police had recorded as violent crimes in the last 12 months because of a change in the national standards on recording violent crime.
While Monty Python’s attempts to use soft cushions or comfy chairs to torture Inquisition victims may not feature, the incidents, which have been recorded by the Norfolk police as violent crime in the last 12 months, include:While Monty Python’s attempts to use soft cushions or comfy chairs to torture Inquisition victims may not feature, the incidents, which have been recorded by the Norfolk police as violent crime in the last 12 months, include:
•A women who threw a biscuit at a man, leaving him with a small red mark. This was classified as actual bodily harm. • A women who threw a biscuit at a man, leaving him with a small red mark. This was classified as actual bodily harm.
•Two children who were playing together, and one brushed the other with a stinging nettle across the arm. This was classified as actual bodily harm. • A child who brushed another child’s arm with a stinging nettle while playing together. This was classified as actual bodily harm.
•A young child who caught his small sibling with a boxing glovewhen he was swinging it around. This was recorded as actual bodily harm. • A young child who caught his sibling with a boxing glovewhen he was swinging it around. This was recorded as actual bodily harm.
•Two children, who were doing wheelies on their bikes, and one ran into the other. This was recorded as an assault. • Two children, who were doing wheelies on their bikes, and one ran into the other. This was recorded as an assault.
•New rules saying that malicious communications – offensive texts or letters – must no longer be treated as non-crime has lead to 183 extra incidents being classified as violent crimes in Norfolk in the last 12 months. • New rules saying that malicious communications – offensive texts or letters – must no longer be treated as non-crime has lead to 183 extra incidents being classified as violent crimes in Norfolk in the last 12 months.
“It’s jaw-dropping,” said Bett. “I am sure people will find these examples of what the police are having to record hard to believe,” said Bett. “It’s jaw-dropping,” said Bett. “I am sure people will find these examples of what the police are having to record hard to believe. I frankly couldn’t believe what I was reading. Is it any wonder we have seen a rise in recorded violent crime in Norfolk if these types of incidents have to be logged?
“I frankly couldn’t believe what I was reading. Is it any wonder we have seen a rise in recorded violent crime in Norfolk if these types of incidents have to be logged?
“The last thing I want to do is trivialise any incident where there is a victim, but I am struggling to see how someone being hit by a biscuit or brushed by a stinging nettle fits anyone’s idea of a violent crime,” he said.“The last thing I want to do is trivialise any incident where there is a victim, but I am struggling to see how someone being hit by a biscuit or brushed by a stinging nettle fits anyone’s idea of a violent crime,” he said.
The Norfolk police force say the increase in violent crime recorded over the last year is largely attributable to procedural changes introduced to crime recording following an inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary: “The changes include early intervention to identify any compliance issues, stricter crime registry audits and closer examination of control room incident records to ensure that all incident reports that identify crimes are fully recorded.” The Norfolk police force say the increase in violent crime recorded over the last year is largely attributable to procedural changes introduced to crime recording following an inspection. They said: “The changes include early intervention to identify any compliance issues, stricter crime registry audits and closer examination of control room incident records to ensure that all incident reports that identify crimes are fully recorded.”
They insist that the national recording standards means they are under a duty to record these incidents as crimes.They insist that the national recording standards means they are under a duty to record these incidents as crimes.
The Home Office says that HMIC recently found that the police were failing to record one in five of all crimes reported to them, amounting to some 800,000 offences nationally. The home office minister, Mike Penning, said the home secretary had made it a priority to tackle hidden and previously under-recorded crime. The Home Office says that HMIC recently found the police were failing to record one in five of all crimes reported to them, amounting to 800,000 offences nationally. The home office minister, Mike Penning, said the home secretary had made it a priority to tackle hidden and previously under-recorded crime.
“It is the responsibility of individual forces to accurately record crimes in accordance with strict Home Office counting rules and HMIC inspects forces to ensure they are recording crimes appropriately,” he added.“It is the responsibility of individual forces to accurately record crimes in accordance with strict Home Office counting rules and HMIC inspects forces to ensure they are recording crimes appropriately,” he added.