Preaching to the Converted

It doesn't give me any comfort to know that the Home Office spends roughly £5 Million p.a. on condescending ads telling us all to lock our doors.

"The forecast for Home Office spend for 2009-10 is as follows:

TV airtime £3,054,178

Radio airtime £799,405

Print (Newspapers & Magazines) £911,698

The activity that has been scheduled may still be subject to alteration and the total for each media may change. The figures quoted are net media costs and do not include production costs or fees. "

I'm particularly irritated by the radio campaign featuring an idiotic couple who make sure they've left all their doors and windows open. It's yet another attempt by the Home Office to encourage us all to prevent crime by turning our homes into Fort Knox.

Now, of course we should lock doors, keep valuables out of sight etc. It's common sense. But should the Home Office be spending our money to tell us this stuff? When did they last run an advertising campaign targeted at criminals? I'd quite like to hear genuine villains on the radio, bemoaning their lack of freedom. That would be worthwhile propaganda.

I have a suspicion that every poster, every advertisement telling us to be aware of crime actually makes crime more likely. Because none of us is an island - we all pick up cues from our environment. The more that we tell people that criminal activity is normal, and to be expected, the more we, well, normalise it.

Home Office, please stop spending our money on anti-crime advertising. £5 million would fund about 100 constables (At a cost per constable of £48,000 pa, including pension contributions).

Moans about the cost of police officers aside, 100 people catching criminals would surely be a better use of public funds than asinine adverts telling us to lock the door.