A police chief is successfully cutting crime in his area with a scheme that sees him hand-delivering cakes to criminals.
Chief Inspector Andy Boyd targets the Thames Valley region's worst offenders with the cakes, which he delivers personally on their birthdays.
The police commander, who pays for the £1.50 Victoria Sponge cakes himself, launched the programme to let offenders know that police are closely monitoring them.
Each cake is accompanied by a card that reads: 'On your birthday we wish you well, we would hate to see you in a cell. Time to change your ways, go straight, if you don't, you know your fate.'
Figures released this week showed that the overall level of crime in the area has fallen by 18 per cent over the past five months.
Like-for-like figures compared to the same period last year show a reduction of 418 crimes, from 2,289 to 1,871.
Yesterday Chief Inspector Boyd said that he believed the personal touch had contributed towards the fall in crime rates.He said: We are robustly policing these offenders. They are visited on an almost daily basis and when it is their birthday I will go to their houses and given them a birthday cake and a card.
Chief Inspector Andy Boyd targets the Thames Valley region's worst offenders with the cakes, which he delivers personally on their birthdays.
The police commander, who pays for the £1.50 Victoria Sponge cakes himself, launched the programme to let offenders know that police are closely monitoring them.
Each cake is accompanied by a card that reads: 'On your birthday we wish you well, we would hate to see you in a cell. Time to change your ways, go straight, if you don't, you know your fate.'
Figures released this week showed that the overall level of crime in the area has fallen by 18 per cent over the past five months.
Like-for-like figures compared to the same period last year show a reduction of 418 crimes, from 2,289 to 1,871.
Yesterday Chief Inspector Boyd said that he believed the personal touch had contributed towards the fall in crime rates.He said: We are robustly policing these offenders. They are visited on an almost daily basis and when it is their birthday I will go to their houses and given them a birthday cake and a card.
Their reaction is one of surprise, but the majority accept it in the spirit in which it's delivered.They recognise that we are there to assist in helping them overcome any issues they may have. We are taking every opportunity to deter them from crime.
Chief Inspector Boyd, who buys the cakes from a local Tesco supermarket, and makes the cards at Abingdon police station, added: 'I believe that giving these offenders birthday cakes and cards has helped to significantly reduce crime.
This is only one of a large number of measures that we are trying. Showing that there is a support network for them and that there is someone to turn to should the criminals ever feel the need.
This is only one of a large number of measures that we are trying. Showing that there is a support network for them and that there is someone to turn to should the criminals ever feel the need.
2 comments:
Mines a large cream cake please MMMMMMMM
What ever next shall we take the poor little sods some turkey round at christmas. I feel this is a very bad idea to be giving birthday cakes to criminals!.
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