Use of Vagrancy Act in Warwickshire should shame the Govt
A Freedom of Information request has shown that 6,518 'offenders' were found guilty under the Vagrancy Act between the years 2014 to 2017 in England and Wales including 32 in Warwickshire.
The Metropolitan Police were the most likely force to use the Act, which criminalises rough sleepers, averaging 459 convictions a year. West Midlands police force area averaged 161, and Merseyside averaged 148 per year.
The Vagrancy Act criminalises people for sleeping rough, deeming them "rogues and vagabonds". It was drafted in 1824 with soldiers coming home from the Napoleonic Wars in mind.
Liberal Democrat MP, Layla Moran, is leading the campaign for the Vagrancy Act to be scrapped.
Commenting on the findings, Councillor Jerry Roodhouse (Paddox and Eastlands), said:
"The Government, and local authorities, should be ashamed that they have continued to allow the use of a law that makes rough sleeping a criminal offence, and for it to be used so frequently with little regard for the people affected. This law has no place in a modern, compassionate society. I hope everyone will join the Liberal Democrats campaign and support our calls for the Vagrancy Act to be scrapped."
ENDS
Notes to editors
Offenders found guilty at all courts of offences under the Vagrancy Act 1824 (1) by police force area, England and Wales, 2014-2017 (2)(3) | ||||||
Police force area | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | ||
Gloucestershire | 3 | 2 | 3 | . | ||
Surrey | 12 | 3 | 1 | - | ||
City of London | - | - | - | - | ||
Metropolitan Police (4) | 671 | 466 | 481 | 218 | ||
West Midlands | 272 | 158 | 133 | 83 | ||
Merseyside | 162 | 183 | 165 | 82 | ||
Greater Manchester | 182 | 128 | 56 | 75 | ||
Nottinghamshire | 20 | 66 | 69 | 53 | ||
Northumbria | 100 | 126 | 34 | 49 | ||
Derbyshire | 52 | 31 | 21 | 43 | ||
Cheshire | 63 | 45 | 34 | 40 | ||
Lancashire | 51 | 38 | 41 | 35 | ||
Cleveland | 37 | 10 | 29 | 33 | ||
Norfolk | 20 | 12 | 13 | 28 | ||
West Yorkshire | 47 | 31 | 31 | 26 | ||
Thames Valley | 49 | 39 | 28 | 24 | ||
Lincolnshire | 16 | 21 | 19 | 23 | ||
South Wales | 43 | 47 | 24 | 23 | ||
West Mercia | 21 | 20 | 10 | 21 | ||
Avon and Somerset | 46 | 20 | 11 | 19 | ||
Cambridgeshire | 55 | 30 | 24 | 18 | ||
South Yorkshire | 30 | 46 | 46 | 17 | ||
Warwickshire | 4 | 6 | 8 | 14 | ||
Humberside | 35 | 18 | 24 | 11 | ||
Devon and Cornwall | 7 | 14 | 13 | 9 | ||
Gwent | 15 | 14 | 11 | 9 | ||
North Wales | 10 | 13 | 17 | 8 | ||
Hertfordshire | 14 | 12 | 15 | 7 | ||
Kent | 8 | 12 | 7 | 7 | ||
Hampshire | 52 | 27 | 12 | 6 | ||
Sussex | 28 | 40 | 7 | 6 | ||
Durham | 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | ||
Staffordshire | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||
Cumbria | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
Leicestershire | 8 | 11 | 10 | 4 | ||
Essex | 12 | 6 | 6 | 4 | ||
North Yorkshire | 17 | 12 | 5 | 3 | ||
Northamptonshire | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3 | ||
Dorset | 40 | 8 | 18 | 3 | ||
Bedfordshire | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
Wiltshire | 13 | 5 | 9 | 2 | ||
Suffolk | 34 | 11 | 2 | 1 | ||
Dyfed Powys | . | . | . | 2 | ||
Total (ALL) | 2,280 | 1,758 | 1,455 | 1,025 | ||
' - ' = Nil | ||||||
(1) Includes Sections 3 and 4 of Vagrancy Act 1824 | ||||||
(2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | ||||||
(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||||
(4) Metropolitan Police includes City of London | ||||||
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. | ||||||