102 Devon Christmas Crimes

A Freedom of Information request was made to Devon and Cornwall Police, requesting full details of the total number of crimes committed containing the word ‘Christmas’ in the list of offences recorded in 2018.

As required by law, the police force duly obliged and it transpired that 102 such offences were committed during this time.

The most common cases included criminal damage (twenty-one incidents) and theft (thirteen), with the runaway ‘winner’ being reportings of violence at forty-six cases. Thankfully a great deal lower down the list, but still far too high, were seven shoplifting cases and three rapes/sexual offences.

Some of the more unusual reportings include:

• “Threw a box of Christmas decorations across the room, damaging a lampshade.”
• “Victim has front of their house covered in Christmas tree lights.”
• “Damaged moving reindeer Christmas decorations by unknown means outside dwelling.”
• “[Store] issued replacement set of lights. Staff then discovered that lights returned were from different store.”
• “Offender has got worked up after school Christmas dinner. He has also been throwing chairs around and slamming doors.”

Whilst some cases either led to charges or were still under investigation, the vast majority of these crimes were unsolved, lacked evidence or the witnesses or claimants backed out.

Of the 102 reported incidents:

• One penalty notice was issued
• Two faced community resolution
• Three charges were made
• Three were cautioned
• Five were still being investigated.
• Thirty-nine were dropped
• Forty were investigated without an eventual suspect

Further reading

Crime of Violence Claims

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Article By Stuart Jones