Doorstep Crime
Specialist Crime Division
National Safer Communities Department
Preventions
SCD Preventions – 2013 / 2014
Prioritising a national response to ‘Doorstep Crime’:
•
keeping people safe and protecting vulnerable groups
•
Increase community confidence
•
Improve community safety
•
Improve criminal justice process
What is Doorstep Crime?
•Bogus Worker
Someone who offers to carry out work at inflated prices,
often not completing the work, or completed to poor
standard.
• Bogus Official
Someone who claims to be from a utility or
other company in order to gain access and
steal money or items of value
• Bogus Representative
Someone who claims to be from an organisation
Such as a charity or bank, with the aim of inducing money
or gaining bank details
• Bogus Impersonator
Someone who claims to be a recognised professional,
Such as a social worker or Police Officer to gain access
for financial or other gain
Why?
Doorstep Crime
Victim Profile
– What we Know
Under-reporting
• Perceived Vulnerability
• Embarrassment
• Age (70+)
• Fear (Repeat Victimisation)
• Female
• Not realising they have been
subject to a crime or offence
• Often live alone
• Operation Liberal noting
increase in disabled
victims (England & Wales)
• Perceived lack of confidence
in services
Related Figures
• OFT: 15,000 ‘bogus
trading’ cases reported
each year
• Average payment
made to ‘bogus traders’
is set at £2,000
• Goods & Services sold
via doorstep is reported
to be at least £2.4 billion
Doorstep Crime –
The Future
By 2035…
Those
aged over
75 years
will have
increased
by 82%
352,000
women will
be living
alone
110,000
people will
have been
diagnosed
with
dementia
168,000 men
will be living
alone
65+ will
have
increased
from
850,000 to
1.3m
2 years and 8 months after the
initial crime, victims are 2.4
times more likely to have died or
be in residential care.
Home Office, Distraction Thefts
Types of Doorstep Criminals
•
Opportunistic & Organised
•
Domestic & Incoming (Predominantly England or Northern Ireland) are formed
around family links, through several generations, with a fluid hierarchy.
•
Incoming OCGs tend to travel around Scotland, unlike most domestic groups
“Seasonal Migration”
How are victims identified
-
Proximity to major
Arterial Roads
-
High population of older
residents
-
Outward appearance of
house
-
Vulnerable individuals
may be followed home
-
Cold calling used to
‘canvass’ area
-
Personal details sold /
transferred between
groups
• Markings identified in England
(2009), which have been used to
identify ‘vulnerable’ or otherwise
individuals.
Police Scotland’s Response
•
‘Operation Monarda’ , Police Scotland’s national response to Doorstep Crime,
was created for launch in September 2013 and asked all 14 divisions to work on
areas of:
- Prevention
- Intelligence
- Enforcement
- Reassurance
Operation Monarda was derived from best practice, where positive
evaluation was given by the Scottish Community Safety Network
and the Scottish Government.
Operation Monarda
– National Media
1.
A campaign was launched to
raise awareness of the crime
and advise people on how to
protect themselves from
doorstep con artists.
Police Scotland Highland and Islands
Division are taking part in a national
awareness raising campaign against
bogus callers to reduce victims of
doorstep crime.
Advice to Communities
Op Monarda II –
7th – 18th April 2014
Operation Monarda took place for the second time in Police Scotland’s history, from the
7th – 18th April 2014
This has stemmed from a recent problem profile that was created at the request of
Assistant Chief Constable Ruaraidh Nicolson, and comes into line with a UK wide
operation guided by ACPO
As such, Police Scotland liaised nationally with Operation Liberal (Intelligence hub for
England, Wales & Northern Ireland), ensuring a cross-border approach is maintained
Care & Repair Scotland
• What has been your experience of Doorstep Crime (Rogue
Trading) through Care & Repair Scotland?
• How can Care & Repair Scotland further help to protect people
in our communities and prevent this crime type?
Jamie Toal
National Safer Communities
Preventions Department
Specialist Crime Division
5 Fettes Avenue
Edinburgh
jamie.toal@scotland.pnn.police.uk
0131 311 3210