A Poorer Public Service. For the Public #CutsHaveConsequences
ESSEX Police is being faced with unprecedented cuts to our policing budget – slashed by more than £47 million since 2011.
And sadly there is more to come.By the end of this spending review period in 2016/17 we will have had to find around £72.5 million in savings.
You do not get more or even the same with less. You only get less. #CutsHaveConsequences www.cutshaveconsequences.co.uk
For the public of Essex this means a poorer service with fewer front line police officers.
When the public are being told that “the front line is being protected” – this we are afraid is very far from the truth.
All the officers serving and protecting the 1.75 million people of Essex are front line officers. All warranted officers are front line. Front line is answering the 999 calls, investigating the crimes, patrolling the neighbourhoods, walking the high street and the roles go on.
On average, each day Essex Police deals with about 280 crimes, 90 incidents of domestic abuse, 169 incidents of anti-social behaviour, 20 missing people and two firearms incidents.
And these numbers are going up while officer numbers are going down.
We have lost more than 400 front line officers since 2011. By the end of this spending review we will have lost 600 officers. If we are hit with more cuts we will lose many, many more.
We will never get these officers back no matter what party is in government and for this reason we will have to change how we police. With cyber crime escalating, crime is not falling, it is changing.
In Essex we have already seen the marine unit reduced in equipment and officers. The firearms, roads policing and dog units have been reduced and the mounted unit has been scrapped altogether.
What will be next?
Experts at HM Inspectorate of Constabulary have reported their concerns about the erosion of neighbourhood policing. Neighbourhood teams are seeing their workloads and remit broadening to include reactive policing.
HMIC goes on to say the public are starting to notice fewer officers in their communities.
This can only be expected as we reduce officer numbers but deal with more and more incidents. Forces have to prioritise. The public of Essex would be staggered to know how few officers are on duty across the county at any single time.
Those responding to 999 calls could be as low as 80 officers across the county at any given time.
When a major crime occurs in one area of the county, officers are moved in to assist from across Essex – which results in other areas of the county suffering and going without. As we and other forces reduce in officer numbers it also reduces the ability to give and to receive assistance.
It takes a very special person to be a police officer. We do not join to become rich nor do we join to receive thanks all of the time. We join because we think we can make a difference. We join because we want to help people and get bad people off the streets.
Police officers are not being allowed to do this.
We want to give you a better service but we are not able to do so. Only you the public of Essex can stop further cuts to policing. The cuts will not stop until all politicians are told enough is enough.
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