Shopkeepers in the New Forest village of Lyndhurst have turned to vigilante-style tactics to deter and catch criminals after the police abandoned the village.
details of crimes in the village of Lyndhurst-Image Source: The Guardian
The village has the most unsolved burglaries in the UK, with 84 outstanding on the books. Not a single burglary has been solved there for three years.
In response, many residents and retailers have stopped calling the police and have instead turned to social media to share information about crimes and suspects. They have also set up their own WhatsApp groups to warn each other about suspicious activity.
One shopkeeper, Aaron Page, said that he had stopped calling the police after his shop was robbed twice.
“The police never did anything,” he said. “So now we just take matters into our own hands.”
Another shopkeeper, Janine Stone, said that she had been forced to take similar measures after two Moorcroft pottery charger plates were stolen from her antique store.
“The police didn’t seem interested,” she said. “So I put up a Facebook appeal and the plates were returned within two days.”
The police have acknowledged that they have been struggling to cope with crime in Lyndhurst.
“We know that people are frustrated,” said a police spokesperson. “But we are doing everything we can to address the issue.”
The police have said that they are planning to increase patrols in the village and to set up a new neighbourhood watch scheme.
However, many residents and shopkeepers are skeptical that these measures will be enough.
“We’ve heard all this before,” said Mr. Page. “I’m not holding my breath.”
The police abandonment of Lyndhurst is a symptom of the wider decline in policing in the UK.
In recent years, police budgets have been slashed and officer numbers have fallen. This has led to a reduction in the number of crimes that are solved.
The situation is particularly acute in rural areas, where police forces are struggling to cope with the demands of an aging population and an increase in rural crime.
The abandonment of Lyndhurst is a wake-up call for the government. It shows that the cuts to policing are having a real impact on communities.
If the government wants to keep people safe, it needs to invest in policing and reverse the decline in police numbers.
In the meantime, the people of Lyndhurst will have to rely on themselves to keep their community safe.
