Basically the legal system / police have no time / resources when it comes to "petty" crime.
We have had Ducks / Geese shot in the past (one of our Geese losing an eye last year). Public do not want to get involved. Our Police station is now manned from another even further away in the light of "continuing service improvements".
PCSO's (Community Support Officers) have recently been deployed as part of the Government's "investment" in services (basically the old hobby bobbys re-branded) did you know they have less "rights" in some cases than a member of the public ? .
Case in point - we recently had two youths apprehended in the park for drug taking, they were caught red handed with the drugs and paraphernalia but as they immediately tossed them they did not have them on their person, just there at their feet. The CSO can hold them for 20 minutes and has to call for an officer to process them. Now if I had got to them first I can make an arrest as either a member of the public of as an appointed Council officer and hold them indefinitely. The CSO can then "assist" in the arrest.
Work that one out.
(End of rant)