Ladette crime rising
By Martin Chapman on Saturday, 8th September 2001.
SUFFOLK Police chiefs have attributed the rise in violent crimes committed by young women to the "rise of the ladette."
Females aged between 17 and their early 20’s are responsible for more than a quarter of violent crime with the majority of the offences being committed near to pubs and nightclubs.
Colin Langham-Fitt, Suffolk’s Assistant Chief Constable told yesterdays meeting of the Suffolk Police Authority that he believed "the rise of the Ladette" a term used to described assertive young women was the reason for a significant increase in the number of violent crimes.
He also said that part of the reason of a seemingly high level of violent crimes (18.2%) compared to the national average of 4.3% was due to the forces’s adoption of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS); something many other forces have not done.
There were 6,993 violent offences in 2000/01, compared were 2,276 in 1994/95. Threats to kill rose by 50% to 200, wounding offences rose by 7% to 2,347. However there was a more significant rise in the number of common assault and harassment offences, which account for 77% of the overall increase. Both have showed significant rises to 2,154 and 1,150 offences respectively.
Mr Langham-Fitt also said that part of the rise could be attributed with new procedures for recording domestic crime.
Mr Langham-Fit blamed the growth in nightlife for causing an increase in violent offences.
The police authority meeting was told that the deployment of 74 new officers in the this year was a bid to tackle the growth in violent crime.
But Mr Langham-Fitt said outside of Suffolk's three main towns, there were just over two public place offences in each sector per week. He added 35% of victims of violent crime did not actually receive an injury, while 61% suffered minor injuries.
"We recognise that tackling violent crime is an important issue, but we must also deal with the disproportionate fear generated by uncertainty.
He went on to say that: “we must send out a message that Suffolk is still a safe place to be.”
Females aged between 17 and their early 20’s are responsible for more than a quarter of violent crime with the majority of the offences being committed near to pubs and nightclubs.
Colin Langham-Fitt, Suffolk’s Assistant Chief Constable told yesterdays meeting of the Suffolk Police Authority that he believed "the rise of the Ladette" a term used to described assertive young women was the reason for a significant increase in the number of violent crimes.
He also said that part of the reason of a seemingly high level of violent crimes (18.2%) compared to the national average of 4.3% was due to the forces’s adoption of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS); something many other forces have not done.
There were 6,993 violent offences in 2000/01, compared were 2,276 in 1994/95. Threats to kill rose by 50% to 200, wounding offences rose by 7% to 2,347. However there was a more significant rise in the number of common assault and harassment offences, which account for 77% of the overall increase. Both have showed significant rises to 2,154 and 1,150 offences respectively.
Mr Langham-Fitt also said that part of the rise could be attributed with new procedures for recording domestic crime.
Mr Langham-Fit blamed the growth in nightlife for causing an increase in violent offences.
The police authority meeting was told that the deployment of 74 new officers in the this year was a bid to tackle the growth in violent crime.
But Mr Langham-Fitt said outside of Suffolk's three main towns, there were just over two public place offences in each sector per week. He added 35% of victims of violent crime did not actually receive an injury, while 61% suffered minor injuries.
"We recognise that tackling violent crime is an important issue, but we must also deal with the disproportionate fear generated by uncertainty.
He went on to say that: “we must send out a message that Suffolk is still a safe place to be.”
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