Police jargon baffles councillors

North Wales Police apologised for any 'confusion'.

A letter from North Wales Police describing the recording of violent crime left Conwy councillors baffled.

The Plain English Campaign said the document was "gobbledegook".

One paragraph read: "A crime committed by a stranger is merely the inverse of the stranger indicator and does not exist separately to this indicator".

North Wales Police said: "We are sorry members of the scrutiny committee were confused and we have supplied them with an amended version of the letter".

Conwy Council had asked police for details about the way violent crime is defined and recorded.

The reply stated: "Each violent crime aggrieved has a victim/offender relationship field. Where this is not a known person (family, friend, acquaintance etc) the offender is termed a stranger".

It continued: "The victim/offender relationship field is as with much of the information pertaining to the crime, obtained from the person reporting".

Conwy council's community safety scrutiny committee sought clarification of the document. The force has now sent the committee a more understandable version.

A police spokesperson said the force was not responsible for the way the rules were drafted.

The Plain English Campaign said the police, like any other body, had a responsibility to communicate clearly with the public and avoid jargon.

It isn't the first time that the Plain English Campaign has highlighted what it has described as 'double-dutch' in Welsh public life.

In December 2005 First Minister Rhodri Morgan collected his second "Foot in Mouth" award from the Plain English Campaign.

He had bewildered assembly members with a statement on the possible reorganisation of the four Welsh police forces.

He said: "The only thing which isn't up for grabs is no change and I think it's fair to say it's all to play for, except for no change."