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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Muggings soar in cannabis 'soft touch' zone
Ananova
Tuesday 28 Aug 2001 Street crime has soared in an area of London where police are trying out a new approach to cannabis possession. The jump in muggings in Lambeth came as street crime reached a new high across the capital, according to Scotland Yard figures. The experiment in giving cannabis users a warning rather than prosecuting them began in Lambeth in early July. David Blunkett has expressed his interest in the scheme, saying it fits in with the Government's emphasis on tackling hard drugs and concentrating police resources where they are needed most. The new approach was launched as a six-month pilot scheme by Lambeth police chief, Commander Brian Paddick, who the Home Secretary met shortly after the election. But in the month the scheme was introduced muggings in Lambeth have continued to rise. Scotland Yard figures show there were 760 street robberies and snatches in July - up from 613 the previous month and from 489 the previous July. Across the capital there were 5,427 such incidents last month, working out at 175 incidents a day. It was the third monthly rise in a row for the whole of London with 4,860 incidents in April, 5,229 in May and 5,335 in June. The figures included a monthly rise of 33% in Tower Hamlets where there were 347 incidents in July. Police say there is no evidence of a link between the new approach to cannabis and the rise in street crime in Lambeth. Shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe says there is probably a connection between the rise in street crime in Lambeth and the new approach to cannabis. It was a mistake to ever send out a message that any brand of crime would be tolerated, she said.
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