25% of rioters with more than 10 previous convicitions

[r6blacky]

Search function is down so not sure if this has been discussed yet

As per the title, 25% of the recent rioters/looters have more than 10 previous convictions with an average of 15 Convictions

Full story here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14926322

[Johnnytheboy]

That's funny, yesterday the Beeb were on about the danger of prison turning them in to hardened criminals.

[funkyrobot]

Johnnytheboy said:

That's funny, yesterday the Beeb were on about the danger of prison turning them in to hardened criminals.

And how they are joining gangs now, because they are in prison. Prison makes them bad you see.

[cal72]

I always knew that the only people put in prison were innocent.
And as everyone knows anyone who has been prison is a bad one.
.
.
.
The above sentences can be repeated till the end of days.
or is it

[JagLover]

According to the Telegraph 3 out of evey 4 caught had prior convictions, but yes the BBC spends their time talking of the danger of turning convicted rioters into hardened criminals.

[0a]

No, it's a result of the cuts, according to polly:

"among the usual suspects appearing in court were also an organic chef, an opera house steward, a primary school assistant – not well-paid but not unemployed either, showing how easily people are tempted by wide-open Comet and Argos stockrooms. Ha! That proves it!"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/1...

[98elise]

I read a story a few weeks back abour one of hem having 19 previous convictions, none of them resulted in prison. How many second chances do you give them before they need to go to prison to protect the public?

[AshVX220]

0a said:

No, it's a result of the cuts, according to polly:

"among the usual suspects appearing in court were also an organic chef, an opera house steward, a primary school assistant – not well-paid but not unemployed either, showing how easily people are tempted by wide-open Comet and Argos stockrooms. Ha! That proves it!"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/1...

At least she's getting slated in the comments section. When the majority of comments to your blog are negative, you'd normally have a re-think about your position and that of your target audience. Not for Polly obviously, she continues to spout absolute ste.

[Ozzie Osmond]

r6blacky said:

As per the title, 25% of the recent rioters/looters have more than 10 previous convictions with an average of 15 Convictions

hmmm. I think there's a subtle distinction here which you may not have spotted. People only get one "conviction" for each visit to Court and it's very common for someone to be convicted for multiple "offences". For instance, a burglar gets caught for one offence, admits lots of others and then gets one conviction for 10 offences.

However, it's still a real sign of the times that so many rioters have previous convictions. Even though that doesn't answer the question of why these people turn to crime in the first place.

Mapping rioters' home postcodes against the most deprived areas of UK seems to hold some clues.

[roachcoach]

That's not really that shocking surprising.

a) people with a criminal past are probably more likely to go looting and
b) LOADS and LOADS of convictions don't have custodial sentences.


It'd be more shocking if they were all first time offenders tbh.

[Frankeh]

The 25% that egged on the other 75% no doubt.

[Liokault]

Or, as most people convicted were picked up from CCTV footage after the event, and people with criminal records are much easier to identify for the police, it may be that ex-cons are being unfairly targeted by the police, as was being argued on the BBC last week.

[Mr_annie_vxr]

Liokault said:

Or, as most people convicted were picked up from CCTV footage after the event, and people with criminal records are much easier to identify for the police, it may be that ex-cons are being unfairly targeted by the police, as was being argued on the BBC last week.

Awww. The poor little babies.

Maybe they shouldn't have gone on the rob then?

[jq3104]

Did you see the comments page relating to the story?

The BBC have used a picture of a black police man arresting a white youth.

God how I hate the BBC and their pc bull.

[Porkbrain]

Unless the copper was shouting, "Come back you bd, that was my telly"