The Guardian – Police chief warns of surge in crime as cost of living crisis fuels poverty

The Guardian – Police chief warns of surge in crime as cost of living crisis fuels poverty 

The Guardian has a warning that the cost of living crisis could fuel a rise in crime.

The paper quotes a police chief saying the cost-of-living crisis will trigger an increase in crime. The new chief inspector of constabulary, Andy Cooke, said officers should use “discretion” when deciding whether to prosecute people who steal in order to eat, the paper says. But he said he was not advocating an amnesty for people who committed crimes of poverty.