Falling officer numbers coincide with rise in recorded crime

A FALL in the number of officers at Essex Police from 3,606 to 2,806 has coincided with a 12.9% rise in recorded crime.

The figures have been revealed in a HMIC report on the effectiveness of Essex Police.

The report also revealed that Essex spends higher than the national average on neighbourhood policing at £39 per head of population compared to a national average of £25.

Essex Police was rated as good overall for 2016 compared to “requires improvement” the previous year.

The report stated: “Essex Police has a good understanding of the risks and threats posed to its communities. The understanding is supported by the force’s dedicated local policing model.”

“Essex Police is good at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

“Our overall judgment is an improvement on last year, when we judged the force to require improvement.

“The force has an effective approach to preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, investigating crime and tackling serious and organised crime.

“The force has greatly improved the way it protects vulnerable people, including victims of domestic abuse, but still needs to do more in this area.”

The report also revealed that in more than 90% recorded crimes, no-one was charged.

However, the chance of being a victim of crime in Essex is still lower than the national average, the figures show.

See more here: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/15126651.No_one_charged_in_9_out_of_every_10_crimes___yet_Essex_Police_is_said_to_be__improving_/