Pubdate: Sun, 25 Mar 2007
Source: Observer, The (UK)
Copyright: 2007 The Observer
Contact:  http://www.observer.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/315
Author: Gaby Hinsliff, political editor

POLICE GAIN NEW POWERS TO SEIZE THIEVES' 'BLING'

A hard core of 5,000 career criminals who commit half of all crimes 
are to be targeted in a new police surveillance campaign.

Repeat petty offenders, such as burglars and car thieves, will be 
sent letters on release from prison warning them that they are being 
watched by the police and will be subjected to surprise home visits. 
The plans will be unveiled this week in the latest findings from a 
government policy review.

The Prime Minister will also reveal new powers for police to seize 
valuables such as jewellery, plasma TVs and other elements of the 
'bling' lifestyle lived by many offenders such as drug dealers when 
they make arrests, if they suspect these are bought with the proceeds 
of crime. Currently officers need a court order to take such items 
away after a conviction. The Home Office estimates that 5,000 
offenders commit a million crimes a year between them. Ministers 
believe targeting them could mean big reductions in crime, after a 
pilot scheme found subsequent offences committed by individuals under 
surveillance were reduced by 62 per cent.

A Downing Street source said: 'Some of these people can be doing 10 
crimes a week, and it's often driven by drugs. It is saying, "Let's 
target probation officers' time and really breathe down the necks of 
these particular individuals".' The offenders will also be offered 
help to come off drugs.

Tony Blair and the Home Secretary, John Reid, will be flanked by 
Gordon Brown to announce the policy review's proposals on crime and 
security. The package will include measures to prevent reoffending by 
teenagers coming out of young offenders' institutions.

The national Asset Recovery Agency, set up by the government to seize 
ill-gotten gains from criminals, was recently criticised by the 
National Audit Office, which found that it had spent UKP65m to 
recover UKP23m - although Downing Street will say this week it 
expects to have recovered at least UKP125m by the end of this 
financial year, and double that by 2009-10. The agency can only 
remove assets after seeking court orders once someone has been 
convicted, but increasing police seizure powers would allow 
possessions to be taken even before they are charged with a crime, 
speeding up the process and potentially increasing the value of 
seizures, although anyone acquitted would be likely to claim their 
valuables back.

Downing Street believes the change will target the high-profile 
'middle merchants' of crime rather than major criminals, making the 
lifestyle of dealers and low-level gangsters who flash their wealth 
around look less enticing.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman