Difficult decisions to be made on neighbourhood policing

ESSEX Police is having to make difficult decisions over suspending neighbourhood policing as a result of there being 600 fewer police officers to deploy.

That’s the view of Mark Smith, Chairman of Essex Police Federation, who was reacting after the HMIC criticised the force for halting neighbourhood policing for six weeks last summer in the north of the county to deal with a backlog of other crimes.

The Federation supports the Chief Constable’s decision.

Mr Smith said: “The Chief Constable makes operational policing decisions and made a decision that he needed his resources elsewhere. That’s what he believed he needed and that’s what he was being advised to do, then he has to do it.

“This again is the consequence of cuts. We’re drifting towards responding to 999 calls only, and if the Chief has had to do that in Essex and pull officers away from a certain area for a certain period of time, then that’s his decision.”

Phil Suarez, Secretary of Essex Police Federation, told PoliceOracle.com: “It comes down to a choice – do you want officers responding to violent domestic incidents or do you want officers available to respond to anti-social behaviour? Obviously none of it is acceptable, but in areas where you have to judge risk, stark choices have to be made.”

And he added: “Police resources have shrunk, and leaders of the force are trying to do the best they can with ever shrinking resources.”

Essex PCC Nick Alston said he was “surprised and disappointed I was not informed”.

He added: “On local policing, my position is clear. With the resources available to Essex Police, it is not possible to operate a model of ‘bobbies on the beat’.

“But local, neighbourhood, community policing – use whichever name you like – is an absolutely core function of a police service.”