I recently reported a bike theft to the police in the UK. A few days later I received an email from someone who "screens" incoming crimes. It said "I cannot sen

I recently reported a bike theft to the police in the UK. A few days later I received an email from someone who "screens" incoming crimes. It said "I cannot send the matter for further investigation as the value of the item stolen falls below our threshold to investigate". They didn't even check if there was CCTV coverage in the area. I'm guessing that the bike thieves in this area are well aware of the value of this threshold and operate accordingly. It feels like I'm living in a Discworld novel where petty crime is "designed in" to society. There's a mutual unwritten agreement that the thieves can do what they like, as long as they stick to lower-value items. If you're too poor to afford a replacement, tough luck. Even my home contents insurance was pointless, as the excess was greater than the bike's value.