PRESS RELEASE

Strictly embargoed to 00.01 hrs Tuesday 9 March 2010

SUSPECTS MORE SATISFIED WITH

THE POLICE THAN WITNESSES

A new report out today (Tuesday, 9 March) from Witness Confident, the anti street
crime charity, highlights government figures that show that 2% of witnesses to
muggings and 33% of witnesses to violent or threatening behaviour are satisfied with
the way the police handle the matter. The same British Crime Survey report gives
satisfaction ratings of people who were stopped and searched by the police at 62%.

“All the evidence suggests that the system drives police officers to treat suspects –
rather than the wider public - as their primary customers”, says Guy Dehn, Witness
Confident’s director. “This blinkered mindset alienates the law-abiding public and
explains why so many witnesses stay silent. Inevitably this means that critical evidence
is lost and so puts people who are wrongly accused at real risk.”

Public support for professional help

To rebalance this culture, Witness Confident argues that out of every pound the public
spends looking after the rights of defendants, ten pence should go on legal help for
witnesses and victims of crime. Its new report, Evidence lost, details that while the
Government spent £766 on legal help for each defendant, it provided just £24 of
voluntary support to help the victims and witnesses of the same crimes.

“At the moment, we the public pay one set of lawyers to put the interests of defendants
first and another set to put the case on behalf of the Crown”, says Mr Dehn. “It’s not
rocket science to see why the interests of victims, witnesses and the wider community
are routinely overlooked by the police and the legal system.”
One hundred case studies
The new report draws on a Have Your Say the BBC run six months ago on 9 September
asking ‘Would you report street crime?” While Witness Confident stresses that the
responses are not and cannot be taken to represent public opinion, it says the evidence
from such a full and lively debate should not be ignored.

Of one hundred and two case studies of street crime cited in the debate, only eighteen
had anything positive to say about the police, the courts or the help of passers-by. In
the 84 cases there was criticism, this was directed overwhelmingly at the police, with
people citing their inefficiency and indifference. [Note. From page 3 below, twelve HYS
posts from the report are shown to give a sense of the experiences and range of views
expressed.]

The human factor

Witness Confident maintains that much of the dissatisfaction expressed with the police
is down to the human factor: where officers seem to have taken witnesses and victims
for granted. The charity welcomes government and police initiatives that are starting
to address this problem and singles out for praise the Policing Pledge. This sets out for
the first time basic service guarantees the public are entitled to expect from the police
on answering the phone and responding to calls for help.

When the Policing Pledge is reviewed, the charity proposes that officers should also
aim to thank witnesses, victims and members of the public for their assistance.

Leading by example
Witness Confident also calls on the Director of Public Prosecutions and chief constables
from around the country to endorse the recent lead from Sir Paul Stephenson, the
Metropolitan Police Commissioner, that the police should celebrate, rather discourage,
people who take a stand against street crime.

Warning that the public’s confidence in law and order risks being led by prejudice
rather than fact, the charity is calling on the courts, defence lawyers, prosecutors and
the police to publicise regularly examples where witnesses or members of the public
have made an important contribution to community safety or to a victim of crime. “We
should not overlook the power of good examples,” says Mr Dehn. Witness Confident is

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also asking the Home Office to undertake authoritative research into the experiences of
witnesses and people’s attitudes to the walk-on-by culture.

Contacts
Guy Dehn 020 7226 0968 / 0777 9489377
Anna Myers 0789 7936462 / 020 7226 0968

Notes to Editor
• The report Evidence Lost is available at www.witnessconfident.org/research
• Witness Confident is a registered charity and legal advice centre. It launched on
9/9/9 and is campaigning against the walk-on-by culture that fuels street
violence, feeds fear and fractures communities.
• It is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Allen Lane Foundation and private
supporters including Rufus Leonard.

Twelve posts from the BBC Have Your Say asking “Would you report street crime?”

Yes I would report street crime. I have seen people walk by when someone had been attacked. For
example, a girl had been stabbed in the leg with something and was bleeding quite badly in a shopping
centre. No one helped her even though it was obvious and the place was busy. Even when I stopped to
help, people ignored me when I asked for help. I couldn't believe it.
Carly, Luton

I was attacked and robbed in the street early this year by 3 youths - it was witnessed but they wouldn't
even phone the police for me, I had to get to a phone box to ring them myself. While the police's
response was rapid it was abundantly clear that they would not be able to catch the offenders and they
seemed annoyed as reporting the attack would affect their statistics for unsolved crime. My
experience makes me loath to report to the police as it was more hassle than help, but I still would.
Ali, Bath

Great timing for this one! Arrived home the other day to see my front door had been tagged with
spray glue and all over the pavement in front of my house so I walked to police station as did not want
to get fobbed over phone. The bloke at the counter asked me to use a free phone to report it so I did
while he chatted up someone, the chap on the phone said a pcso will come to see you. Got home next
day a card said sorry you were not in at 3pm …
Iain, Aylesbury

This week I went to a police station to report a crime and was told at 18:40 that we would be seen in
15min as they were just changing shifts. No-one else was waiting and the two operating police officers
were doing nothing behind the counter. The shift change took place at 19:00. At 19:30 we were finally
attended to. I will not give up my evening to report a crime if police officers are happy to neglect their
duties for the last 20min of their shift and deceive the well-meaning public.
Phil, Stockwell
…/…

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I intervened in a mugging and reported it. I was warned that I may be prosecuted because I'd tried to
push the attacker away. I wasn't charged in the end, the muggers weren't either because I had touched
one of them. So no, I wouldn't intervene again - or if I did, I certainly wouldn't report it to the police.
Jill, Guildford

I have positive and negative experience from reporting crimes and think that although something
rarely gets done it's still our duty to report. I have been mugged and reported crimes I have witnessed
and heard nothing from the Police on the outcome from this. I have also reported a neighbour when
truly awful screams were heard and it turned out to be assault for which they received a heavy
sentence and I was well informed. Information is key and we could use more feedback from Police.
T, Derby

Funny, I was actually a victim of street crime just yesterday, along with another man older than me.
The other man was covered in blood. I wasn't bleeding and perhaps that’s why people didn’t seem
bothered by my requests and shocked face. The police arrived and a member of public managed to
trap the attacker on bike. The attacker was arrested and now hopefully he'll be put away. So in my
experience the police (and ambulance) were very efficient with the case.
Adrian Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne

Despite being a law abiding citizen with no history of any legal trouble, my experiences with the
police have left me wanting as little contact with them as possible - therefore I am less inclined to
report street crime than I might otherwise be. On the occasion when I did report a crime against me
(vehicle break-in), they did not even bother turning up. How do otherwise ordinary people suddenly
become so arrogant, ignorant and rude the moment they put their police uniform on?
Lee, London

I currently have three jobs. I'm a Probation Officer two and a half days per week, A Community
Service Supervisor one day per week and I work with adults with learning difficulties in a care home
one or two days per week. All of those jobs would be destroyed if I were to be charged with a criminal
offence. No way in the world I'm getting involved with anything that has the remotest chance of
getting me in court....and I'm a nice and caring person.
Mr B, Sedgley

It depends on how quickly and calmly I can react. Ideally I note time, place and have a photo using a
mobile phone of the incident. And recall the other witnesses if any and then ring for police. Which is a
lot to remember. On my own I am not sure how I would react but if others joined in then so would I
and hope it did not get out of hand which is just as bad as being attacked yourself. In the past there
were fewer street attacks because bystanders always moved in to prevent them.
Simon G, London SW9

The last time I reported a crime, a robbery I witnessed, I waited an hour for the police to turn up, then
spent 2 hours in a police station giving a statement. Not the perfect Saturday night out. Would I do it
again? Of course I would! That night, I made our streets just that little bit safer. The police (Greater
Manchester Police) treated me absolutely fantastic. Please! Report crime!
ArcticPup, Manchester

When I saw a street attack not only was it telephoned into the Police, the photos I took and statement
made were used to obtain a conviction. I would have no compunction of doing so again. Society
needs to stand up to violent thuggery and in this respect we all have a moral duty to assist whilst
ensuring our own safety. Doing nothing whilst claiming the Police are ineffective or there are no
bobbies on the beat is not a helpful response.
Witheld, Crowborough