Dame Diana Johnson, the UK’s police and crime minister had her purse stolen at the Police Superintendents’ Association conference.
The minister had earlier warned in her speech about an “epidemic of antisocial behaviour, theft, and shoplifting” inherited from the previous Conservative government.
Warwickshire Police arrested a 56-year-old man on suspicion of burglary at the conference venue near Kenilworth. He has been released on bail.
The Home Office confirmed the theft but stated that “no security risks were identified.”
Financial Times reported that the incident coincided with the government’s early release of some prisoners to address jail overcrowding, worsened by recent riots.
PSA president Nick Smart criticised the “chronic under-investment” in policing, which he said had left forces “financially drowning” and “operating on a shoestring.”
He also expressed concerns about the handling of prison overcrowding and early prisoner releases, highlighting the challenges police face in arresting offenders who “cannot be placed in prison” and managing the consequences of early releases without “proper rehabilitation plans.”
After the conference, Johnson posted on X, expressing her “pleasure to speak” at the event and thanking officers for their “tireless efforts” during the summer riots, without mentioning the theft.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to hire 3,000 new officers and 4,000 police community support officers if Labour wins the upcoming election.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales reported 2.7 million theft incidents in the year ending September 2023, down 19% from pre-pandemic levels.
