Does ‘The Village WhatsApp’ Reflect the Reality of Rising Crime Rates?

When someone posts on the village WhatsApp: I was born in this village in 1949 and have lived in our current house for 48 years. We have for the first time in my lifetime in this village been burgled. Please be alert neighbours,” it’s hard to agree that crime is going down.

There are various ongoing squabbles about crime figures: Fraser Nelson insists the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) shows that crime has fallen, Peter Hitchens says this metric is nothing more than a glorified opinion poll, Nigel Farage insists “Britain is lawless” and Policy Exchange points to figures showing that knife crime has increased 58% from 2021–2024. We all have our anecdotal evidence one way or another: I visited recently the mini-supermarket in Wimbledon where I used to live and was sad to see that all staff now wear body-cams. Yet our market town equivalent has no need of locked cabinets or security guards. I’ve had a quick look at Keir Starmer’s Twitter feed but he’s more concerned about Gaza and the Lionesses to comment either way. I therefore suggest a new metric by which to assess the rise or fall in crime: the Village WhatsApp.


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Marcus Aurelius knew
8 months ago

!£&^UY^KJH D

Banking password?

EppingBlogger
8 months ago

Clearly hate speech.

Mogwai
8 months ago

I very much doubt crime is going down, quite the opposite. And it seems not a day goes by without this type of crime ( with these same culprits ) in particular being reported in the news, which presumably means it’s the tip of the iceberg. This is Sir Khant’s London again;

”A Pakistani asylum seeker has appeared in court after being accused of repeatedly raping an eight-year-old girl.
It is alleged that Kamran Khan, 43, raped the child twice between September 2024 and July 2025 before forcing her to watch a third person engage in sexual activity.
Khan, of Streatham High Road, south London, denied the two counts of rape at Inner London Crown Court, alleged to have taken place in the borough of Lambeth.
He further denied two counts of causing a child to watch a sex act, four counts of sexually assaulting a child and two counts of causing a child under thirteen to engage in sexual activity.
The accused held his head in his hands as he entered his not guilty pleas, aided by an Urdu interpreter.
He was remanded in custody ahead of his seven-day trial on January 5 next year.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14973351/Pakistani-asylum-seeker-court-rape-eight-girl.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline

JXB
JXB
8 months ago
Reply to  Mogwai

There are two crime numbers: reported and not reported.

It has been understood for years now that many crimes are not reported because there is near zero confidence the police will even show up never mind investigate, or get a result. Shops stopped reporting shop-lifting because the police are too busy policing social media and going round mob-handed intimidating people who have committed non-crimes. And if it’s assault, there is a high chance the victim will get arrested for daring to defend themselves.

The true crime rate is most likely increasing significantly.

Grim Ace
Grim Ace
8 months ago
Reply to  Mogwai

Instant deportation back to crappistan.

Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
8 months ago

It depends how crime is classified. People won’t report crimes if they know it’s a waste of time.

For instance if a phone is stolen then unless it’s insured and you need to make a claim it’s pointless reporting it. So people would just get it blocked ( if they have any sense) notify their service provider and that’s it.

The same with minor shop crime and many other things.

so in order to reduce crime governments just raise the threshold, they’ve been doing it for years and consequentially people on the street know it’s worse but politicians hide behind their dodgy statistics. You may as well talk to a brick wall because the agenda for them is to let as many in as possible.

JXB
JXB
8 months ago

“24 jam jars WITH lids available to anyone who wants them. Will leave by the greenhouse. Help yourself.”

“!£&^UY^KJH D”

“Sorry.”

“Has anyone seen my Evri parcel please? Addressed to Mrs J Kibbs etc.”

“Is this it?” [Picture of Evri parcel in garden trug.]

“Yes. I’ll collect this afternoon, thank you.”

“Can anyone recommend a good piano teacher please? Our old one is moving to Dubai.”

I am hoping that GCHQ is not allowed to incept (intercept) village WhatsApps.

Ah… but they could be talking in Far Right Code, plotting and organising Far Right stuff. I mean, for example, 24 jam jar (cars) with lids (shields). “Greenhouse” – hidden Far Right meeting place. Piano teacher – bomb-making expert. Evri parcel = pick-axe handles.

All innocent on the surface, but deep meaning.

It’s vitally important therefore that Gestapo Central HQ gets on to this so Two-Tier Plod can send the heaviest round to stamp it out.

Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
8 months ago
Reply to  JXB

You are right. These politicians are so thick that they don’t even know how people who perceive themselves as persecuted will find ways around censorship. The examples are things like back slang, which is a real hoot and polari which was used by homosexuals many years ago. In every country there are examples, in fact youngsters do it quite extensively now, some of their messages are virtually unintelligible.
additionally the internet spies will have to learn every language in the world and ALL of the slang equivalents. So it’s quite obvious what the spying is for and it’s not what we are being told, as most people with a brain know. I predict that most people will start to adopt ways of communicating to thwart the spies, in the main not because of anything sinister but simply for a bit of a larf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol8MIXWouiY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8yEH8TZUsk

Grim Ace
Grim Ace
8 months ago
Reply to  Bill Bailey

The state can never win. We will always find ways around their efforts to silence us. Using messengers and old fashioned paper, and memorised messages is almost impossible for the stasi to intercept and crack.

Grim Ace
Grim Ace
8 months ago
Reply to  JXB

😁

Grim Ace
Grim Ace
8 months ago

Time for village vigilante groups. And instant justice for anyone caught doing a crime.
Enough is enough. We are severely punished for hurty words but real criminals pretty much get away with it.
This country needs a man of steel ro take over and grip it by the metaphorical throat and sort it out.
Cancel all Blair laws and abrogate international law whenever it causes problems for British interests and British people’s safety and security.

Bloss
Bloss
8 months ago

Any travellers in the neighbourhood?

Marcus Aurelius knew
8 months ago
Reply to  Bloss

Oh! Racist!

Bloss
Bloss
8 months ago

Are they a race or just a nuisance? Anyway yes, in that instance I undoubtedly am. As a retired police officer of my acquaintance told me, never met a good one. Though when I made the same remark on this forum some time ago a retired police officer begged to differ.