Oy!! Copper!!

It seems that Britain's most enthusiastic police officer has been targeting the easy to arrest. Feted as the most active of all police officers, the cop concerned has been arresting people right, left and centre at more than twice the national average - about 4 arrests a day. But from national press reports and complaints from agencies on his beat, it sounds as if he's been going after the easy nick, turning up at homeless hostels and day centres to arrest people, even those who are in treatment for drug problems.

Now, nobody, least of all me is saying that the police shouldn't arrest any one who is breaking the law - but this has all the halmarks of police going after an easy target without thought for whether there might be different or better ways to deal with criminality, especially if it's a treatable drug problem. I'd be interested to know if his arrest rate (activity) is turning in to convictions (outcomes) and if his arrestees fare better than those in treatment as far as their criminal activity is concerned. I bet we won't be told though.