Fears police provisions could be halved in Castle Point (From Echo)
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Fears police provisions could be halved in Castle Point
11:00am Friday 14th December 2012 in Castle Point
Fears police provisions could be halved in Castle Point
POLICE numbers in Castle Point could be halved as part of sweeping budget cuts, it is feared.
Reports have been made the eight constables in the borough could be slashed to four and its two sergeants cut to just one as Essex Police is set to undergo a major reshuffle in January.
The force has to cut a staggering £42.2million from its budget by 2015.
Concerns have been raised it will lead to officers being drafted in from other areas who are unfamiliar with the borough and its key crime trends.
One cop, who did not wish to be named, claims the policing levels in the borough will be “abysmal” following the shake-up.
He said: “It’s such a mess. Regarding the input for the armed robberies, to say the island will be given this number of people is an absolute pack of lies.
“Canvey is almost turning feral again, we sorted all this out years ago and established the police run the island, not the baddies, now it’s the baddies again.”
The officer claims the reshuffle is due to the force’s “blueprint” causing a drop in its detection rate and forces becoming more focused on figures than officer numbers on the streets.
It comes after last week the Echo revealed how one in four neighbourhood officers in the county would be relocated to other patches next year and that nearby Hockley will lose its inspector and one of its experienced sergeants.
Joe Cooke, former Labour councillor for St George’s ward, said: “It was reported to me by a very concerned friend of mine that the officers in Castle Point will be dramatically scaled back come January.
“Now our borough may not have one of the highest crime rates but when you think of all the problems on Canvey recently you wonder how on earth they can let this happen. To think there could only be four officers covering our borough is ridiculous. People want to see officers on the streets. That is what deters criminals, and I dread to think what this could lead to.”
The borough has already seen two of its police stations close at South Benfleet and Hadleigh, and the opening hours of Canvey’s police station scaled back.
Last month, a crack team of 13 detectives, dedicated to solving the most serious crimes, had to be drafted to Canvey police station to help tackle a spate of robberies which had left shopkeepers and residents living in fear.
The Echo contacted Essex Police requesting figures to confirm how many officers operate in the borough now and how many will operate in the borough following the changes in January, but they refused to provide details.
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “In direct response to public and operational demands Essex Police will be implementing the next phase of its policing model in January 2013 in enhance resilience and align resources to where they are most needed.
“Great care has been taken in the development of these plans which come as the force continues to face financial challenges.
“These plans being taken forward have been thoroughly scrutinised and should lead to a more robust service. They will include the provision of new neighbourhood crime teams based at Rayleigh which will give 24/7 support working within the community in Castle Point as required.
“We believe this will enhance the local neighbourhood policing provision.
“Our practice known as borderless policing will continue with response and patrol officers responding according to who is nearest and the priority of the incident. The impact of these changes will be closely monitored.”
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Comments (3)
11:41am Fri 14 Dec 12
Eric Whim says...
Armed robbers will be rubbing their hands together and dancing with delight at this news
2:11pm Fri 14 Dec 12
marshman says...
You recently reported how (on only his first day in the job) newly appointed Tory Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Alston had organised a meeting with local politicians, senior police officers and business owners to devise a plan to help tackle the current Canvey crime spree. So far this year we’ve had dozens of armed robberies (is it 20 now?), muggings and other violent crimes and in your report Mr Alston is quoted as saying he wants ‘…to ensure the police, the town council and the local community safety partnership work together to devise and deliver the best possible plan to keep Canvey safe."
The meeting, to remind you, was hastily arranged at the request of Castle Point Tory MP Rebecca Harris and Canvey Tory councillor Ray Howard, both of whom also gave assurances to us that everything possible was being done to address the Island’s current crime wave.
To suggest that in the New Year there will only be four police officers covering the whole of Castle Point would indicate these three leading lights of the Tory Party are spouting nothing but hot air and uniting to deceive the people of Canvey as to what their true intentions for local policing are.
I for one cannot believe that the Tories are nothing more than a bunch of liars who'll break every promise they make once they've left the meeting room.
Their record speaks for itself.
8:48pm Fri 14 Dec 12
Brunning999 says...
1. Cutting Essex Police budget by 20% plus
2. Demoralizing Officer with pay cuts and pension cuts.
3. Putting in place PCC's that will control Police politically.
4. Treating us punters with fancy naming of dwindling services
Something will give soon!!!