Police problem

Labour proved that throwing obscene quantities of money at the public sector is no guarantee of success, but equally if even a fraction of the predictions for cuts to frontline officers are borne out, then they couldn’t come at a worse time.

In Yorkshire, Humberside Police saw the first rise in crime for eight years, while only 53 per cent of residents across the region’s four forces believe their local police and councils are dealing with the problems that matter. There are further concerns, particularly the widespread prediction that the economy will fall back into recession this year. Statistically, crime increases in hard economic times and even if recession is avoided, the country is a long way from prosperity.

This leaves the issue of how the problem is turned around? Wherever you stand in the political argument on the scale of cuts, it is clear some savings had to be made and regardless of whichever party was in power the police would have had to find a way of achieving more for less.

As crime has, up until very recently, been falling steadily for some years, the question of confidence must come down to both the public’s perception of police work, and their relationship with the police.

Neighbourhood team policing has proved a successful method of tackling both issues. While it has not worked across the board, there are many examples where officers have established a small team at the heart of a community.

Such work – rarely in the headlines and not recognised in statistics – should be protected as it is this invaluable face to face time with local residents that takes the police’s message into the heart of the communities they serve.