Ministry of law enforcement and crime prevention Diana Johnson’s wallet was stolen while she spoke about rising lawlessness at a conference for senior police officers on Tuesday.
The incident took place at the annual conference of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) in Kenilworth, as confirmed by the ministry to the Financial Times.
Warwickshire police reported that they are investigating a theft at the hotel where the event took place. A 56-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary, and has since been released on bail, according to the police.
In her speech at the PSA conference, Johnson, who serves as the Minister of the Interior under the new Labour government, vowed to “restore the respect for the rule of law on the British streets, including restoring respect for the police, which unfortunately has eroded over many years.”
“The city centers across the country are being hit by a wave of anti-social behavior, theft, and shoplifting,” she stated.
Johnson believes that “despite the efforts of thousands of incredible police officers and other admirable employees, we must face the reality that there are still too many victims of antisocial behavior in society who feel that when they call the police, no one listens, no one comes, and nothing is done.”
Amid a crisis of overcrowded prisons, the UK recently decided to release thousands of inmates early, coinciding with hundreds of arrests during nationwide riots. Nick Smart, president of the PSA, stated at the conference that this move put the police in the midst of a storm they did not cause.
Before their sweeping election victory that ended 14 years of conservative rule, the Labour Party promised to tackle crime. Johnson reiterated some of her party’s slogans at the PSA, promising to revive police work in the area.
Meanwhile, a YouGov poll shows that trust in the British police has reached a record low. Over half of Britons do not trust the police to effectively handle crime, and 15% have no trust in the British police at all.
