Whether it’s work, childcare or even health, the ongoing pandemic is impacting countless people in London and across the UK. A large part of that is down to the lockdown measures which are in place to help us. But it’s not all bad news.
The lockdown measures also have something of a silver lining. As well as much cleaner air as a result of less traffic, the Government has confirmed that crime levels have seen a significant drop. Read on as we take a closer look.
Down by 21%
In the daily press conference on 11th April, Home Secretary Priti Patel confirmed that crime rates fell by 21% overall since mid-March. That includes the first three weeks of the lockdown, meaning the closure of shops and pubs, and travel restrictions, have clearly had an impact on people’s behaviour.
While there has been a drop overall, however, there has also been an increase in specific types of crime. With more people staying at home, domestic violence has unfortunately been on the up. A national domestic violence hotline reported a startling 120% increase in calls.
Of course, there has also been the issue of people breaching lockdown measures for the police to content with. As of 9th April, forces from England and Wales had already issued over a thousand fines for violations including social gatherings or travelling unnecessarily.
Fraudsters exploiting the crisis
Also amongst the more prevalent crimes was fraud. Victims have reportedly lost a total of £1.8 million to various scams during the lockdown, with the City of London Police reporting a 400% increase in scams.
That includes everything from door-knockers offering to go shopping for self-isolators to online shopping scams offering sought-after face masks and hand sanitizer. There have even been fake sites offering tax relief, imitating HMRC to trick people who have fallen on hard times.
While most of the country has come together in this difficult time, some people have simply seen it as an opportunity to take advantage of people’s vulnerability.
Wrongdoing in lockdown
Crime aside, the lockdown has led to an increase in suspicious activity for both individuals and businesses in London and further afield.
With employers advised to allow remote working wherever possible, for example, millions of employees across the country are now working from home. While many workers will act responsibly and complete their work from home, others have seen this as an opportunity to slack off.
On an individual level, many people will also be experiencing trouble with their partners during these difficult times. Suspicious behaviour – working late or staying out – will have become more apparent during a lockdown situation. In both cases, it’s left people worried about their business or family at a time that’s already incredibly difficult.
Get help from the experts at OpSec Solutions
If you’re concerned about the actions of your employees or the whereabouts of your partner in these unprecedented times, OpSec Solutions can help. As a team of private investigators in London, we offer discreet, professional surveillance services across the UK.
Combining state-of-the-art technology with invaluable expertise, we can monitor the location or activity of one or several persons of interest and report back to you in complete confidence. To find out more, get in touch with our team of experts.