‘Theft from the Person’, Rising in Once Safe Communities in Oxford
Oxford locals are distressed over the current statistic of 'theft from the person', believing it is linked to drug deals in community neighbourhoods.
Oxford’s community seems to have a rising fear of the infestation of crime infiltrating this beautiful town, with ‘theft from the person’ rising by 65%, in the previous three years according to Crime Rate UK.
Residents in once-considered safe neighbourhoods progressively report higher crimes; therefore, the rise of online social groups to discuss these issues is also heightened.
Local resident, who has lived in Oxford for 28 years, attributes,“ I am aware though of my area having some people like drug dealers and doing deals in the community garden, and this is quite upsetting for me, ... [and] is probably linked to the ‘theft from the person’ statistic”.
She further explains, “At work, we have heard about drinks being spiked, either through drink or needle, and this is distressing. I don’t know the motive but maybe this is also linked to this statistic”.
Perhaps, we need to centralise our focus on whether there is a correlation between the rise in these two crimes.
As the conflict persists, how will we preserve Oxford’s reputation for safety and prestige?