The Police admit why Burglary is out of control

Last week at a semi public meeting the Barnet Borough Police Commander admitted that Burglary was still the number one crime problem across Barnet .

Despite endless Political pressure over the last couple of years the Metropolitan Police has failed to get to grips with the rising tide of Burglary across the Suburban London Boroughs and particularly Barnet . Month after Month the 21 "Community Action Panels " ( One for each Council Ward) that exist to ensure proper community liaison between the Safer Neighbourhood teams and local residents have been briefed on initiative after initiative being undertaken to tackle Burglary which by all accounts  10 per cent of Barnet households  have fallen victim to.  The latest involved use of the Police helicopter sweeping low over parts of the Borough and making the windows rattle  as residents try to get to sleep around about midnight.

Known Burglars have apparently  been targeted and some when arrested have been encouraged to "confess" to many other break ins other than those they have actually been arrested for.

Sadly one of the key weapons in the battle against this most hateful crime , the Safer Neighbourhood teams themselves have been neutered by the endless "abstraction" of Police Officers from Barnet to go off to other parts of London and deal with whatever the Met think is the issue of the week . A number of Safer Neighbourhood Sergeants ( many of whom are having to look after two teams rather than one ) are openly briefing about their lack of transport ( some teams are lucky in they have a bike between them !)  and manpower and their complete inability to do the job they are supposed to be doing. Oh and by the way I understand the bike allocated to the Totteridge team is broken and in for repair........................

However this week it was revealed by the Police that 41 per cent ( Yes 4 out of ten ) Burglaries in Barnet are committed by Roumanians . Apparently there is a regular mini bus service that runs from Golders Green to Roumania and deposits said Roumanians in the heart of the Borough allowing a number of them to get straight off the mini bus and stuck into their life of crime . Apparently  Barnet has the highest percentage of Roumanian Burglars in the Country.

So if you want something done about Burglary , and which reasonable citizen does not , do not blame Government spending cuts or the forthcoming closure of most of the Borough's outdated Victorian Police Stations but blame fairly and squarely the European Union . Although Britain obtained certain opt outs of EU rules when Bulgaria and Roumania joined the EU with regard to allowing their citizens to work n the UK , the pen border arrangements mean we have no control of who arrives from these two Countries. 

The time has come to introduce  a Visa system , certainly for Roumanians and stick two fingers up to the EU !

Oh and when four years ago much of the alcohol related crime in the Borough was emanating from the Polish  Community the then Cabinet Member on Barnet Council in charge of Community Safety (me) had leaflets produced in Polish and distributed explaining our drinking  laws and what would happen if you breached them , that , combined I suspect with the recession seemed to deal with the issue .

I know virtually all routine wok on Barnet Council has ceased whilst Members and Officers struggle with "One Barnet" ,( have you tried speaking to the Planning Department ?) but surely as we approach the peak Christmas burglary period the relevant Cabinet member needs to start holding the Police to account over their failure on Burglary and could perhaps produce some leaflets in Roumanian and get them handed out at Golders Green Bus Station