Police ready for post-lockdown spike in crime
Police chiefs say they expect to see crime levels return towards normal rates when schools and pubs re-open.
Crimes such as burglaries, robberies, vehicle crime and shoplifting have all plummeted during lockdown.
It came with most shops and commercial premises closed and people largely confined to their homes.
However, after restrictions were eased slightly by Boris Johnson last week, and with some schools expected to re-open from June, West Midlands Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said officers were preparing for an increase in crime.
The Government has also said pubs and restaurants could open from July if coronavirus cases continue to fall in line with expectations.
It comes as West Midlands Police revealed it is facing additional costs of £7 million due to the virus outbreak.
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Since the lockdown was imposed on March 23, burglaries have fallen by 42 per cent in the West Midlands and shoplifting by 47 per cent.
Personal robberies have fallen by 53 per cent and youth violence by 60 per cent. DCC Rolfe said these crimes in particular were associated with pupils going to and leaving schools.
She told the latest meeting of the Police and Crime Board: "A lot of them are associated with schools. Schools being shut is a significant driver and another driver is pubs and clubs being shut.
"We anticipate there might be an increase when lockdown measures are significantly lifted."
DCC Rolfe added: "Vehicle crime is down by 46 per cent. That is probably associated with a reduction in people using their vehicles."
The DCC also revealed 475 people in the region had been fined for breaching lockdown rules, while 1,755 had been told to move on without the need for a penalty.
While lockdown measures have been eased by Boris Johnson, police can still fine people for meeting in large groups or not respecting social distancing.
DCC Rolfe said the force had also received some complaints that they had not acted quickly enough to disperse people breaking lockdown rules.
She said: "We are monitoring complaints coming in. I think the public have quite high expectations of how we might respond to others breaching lockdown.
"We have had a number of complaints about not responding and about the treatment of individuals when we do respond."
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem said: "Overall compliance has been very good. Only a small proportion of (the 1,755) have been fined."
