Silent Crime: Former Leeds officer on the frustrations faced by police and residents as repeat offenders 'feel invincible'
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Stephanie Kovrilija, 39, left her role as a response officer at West Yorkshire Police three years ago to manage a motorcycle shop in Leeds.
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Hide AdShe said that she still has ties with the force’s bike crime team and that the store she works at has been targeted by thieves on a number of occasions.
She spoke to the YEP a wide-ranging conversation as part of a campaign currently being run by this newspaper and parent company National World called Silent Crime. As part of the campaign, we’re focusing on every day crime that goes unreported to police.
As a former officer and key member of the city’s motorcycle community, Ms Kovrilija said she knows first-hand the frustrations about the high levels of crime across the county going unresolved.
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Hide AdShe said: “My frustration comes because I understand both sides of the story. I’ve been a biker for many years and did work on the bike team in the police and I know what it’s like. I know the limitations that police officers on the ground face.
“It’s very militant. They’re told what they can do and where they can go and there’s not a lot of wiggle room.”
She said that West Yorkshire Police’s bike crime team is “extremely proactive” but that due to a number of factors including a lack of manpower and resources it was limited in how much it can do.
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Hide AdMs Kovrilija said that as a result bike crime as well as other low level crime such as thefts, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour was “escalating” and that those responsible were becoming “more brazen”.
She said: “Everything is getting worse than what it was but there is also a lot more media attention around everything so things appear worse as well.”
She also said people should consider that police need to prioritise more serious crimes, adding: “People only see what’s most important to them so if you’re really into vehicles you’ll be infuriated by the levels of vehicle theft.
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Hide Ad“You’re blinded to what your interests are so you’re blinded a lot of the time and it’s easy to overlook everything else.”
Ms Kovrilija said that, due to how the police operates, it can often feel that officers “don’t care” - but that view was far from reality.
She said: “There is an issue with the police force but I don’t think it lays with the officers on the ground because they do what they’re told and when they’re told to do it. Everything is scrutinised and looked at and monitored.
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Hide Ad“I think there needs to be more transparency but people need to understand that police can only do so much.
“It’s not all straight forward. Sometimes they want to chase people but they’ve got their hands tied and they can’t. It’s frustrating.”
She said the police officers also find the restrictions they face frustrating, saying that they are constantly expected to “jump from job to job” but also contend with dealing with paper work and long waits when taking prisoners to custody.
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Hide AdMs Kovrilija also raised the key point that more serious crimes need to be prioritised over lesser crimes when they are reported.
“It’s a hard thing to say and understand” she said. “I get why people are angry.”
There’s also the question of whether those who are caught for the lower level crimes are dealt with sufficiently. Ms Kovrilija said she was left livid after a thief who threatened her with a hammer was given a “pathetic” sentence of a tag and community order.
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Hide AdShe said: “That’s where the frustration lies for bikers. But speaking to the police that’s where their frustration lies as well. They put their lives at risk to catch someone and then two days later he’s back out on the street laughing.”
It leaves repeat offenders feeling “invincible”, she said, and it has fuelled other crime such as shoplifting.
During our Silent Crime coverage over the weeks a number of people have raised the point that there is less of a police presence around communities, with the old notion of “bobbies on the beat” becoming something of a relic.
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Hide AdMs Kovrilija said: “I think it’s a shame that you can’t build that rapport that we used to have but times have changed since then. There’s a lot more cars on the road and vehicle crime and if you’re on foot there’s nothing you can do anyway.
“You’ve got to change to match the times.”
On how to address the increased levels of crime across communities, Ms Kovrilija said she felt there is “something on every level that can be done” including within police forces and in government and on a societal level.
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Hide AdShe said: “We’re quite a nanny state aren’t we? People criticise the police but the things that would be done to you even if you committed some of the smaller stuff in different countries is amazing to think.
“People are more entitled than they’ve ever been before but because it’s been a slow loss of respect it’s going to get so far and then you’re never going to claw it back without a lot more damage being done.”
She continued: “People would rather pick up a phone and film it rather than either call it in or do anything about it. I’d never ask anybody to put themselves at risk but you can’t complain that nothing’s being done if you’re not willing to be part of the change.
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Hide Ad“Police need to be able to police and at the minute they can’t.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Tackling neighbourhood crime remains a challenge across all our communities here in Leeds. We do however have dedicated teams working in the district who are responsible for investigating crimes such as burglary, robbery, vehicle and retail crime, as well as anti-social behaviour.
“Our officers work daily to tackle these issues with our partners and to maximise positive criminal justice outcomes.”