THE cuts being brought in by Essex Police to save \u00a363 million over the next three years could lead to the end of neighbourhood policing, the chairman of Essex Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Mark Smith said claims that the front line is being protected from the cuts are not correct, adding that 73 warranted officers \u2013 57 PCs and 15 sergeants \u2013 are being moved out of the Essex\u2019s 10 new community policing teams.<\/p>\n
Mr Smith added: \u201cI think it\u2019s quite clear to see that the front line isn\u2019t protected. The PCSOs that are working in the neighbourhoods are frontline policing and so are the police officers that are going to be moved away from that area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been saying since the beginning of the year that cuts have consequences and we can clearly see now \u2013 and I think the public can clearly see \u2013 that these are the consequences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re losing neighbourhood policing. I think that\u2019s quite clear to see. There are people far higher than me who are saying that neighbourhood policing in this country has been affected.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are concerns \u2013 and I share those concerns \u2013 about the information and the intelligence that we get from our communities. Whether that is on local issues or local problems, or counter-terrorism. We get this information from our communities and we seem to be having to pull back from community policing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Smith said the loss of 700 officers since 2010 \u2013 with a potential further 600 to go \u2013 means that there will simply not be enough officers to patrol.<\/p>\n
And he warned that the force risks becoming response-only, with no officers out in the community except when they are dealing with emergencies.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe\u2019re turning into a response-only type of policing who respond to the 999 calls for threat, harm and risk but you\u2019re not going to see police officers in between. We will turn up, deal, and then move onto the next job.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going to see police officers in the community and on the high streets. Whether that\u2019s just for the feelgood factor \u2013 for the public to feel safe \u2013 that luxury has gone because feeling safe and being safe are two different things.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I think neighbourhood police officers walking the beat can be used in a better way? Yes I think they probably can. But neighbourhood police officers being on the high street at 11pm on a Friday and Saturday is a good use of resources because it\u2019s going to deter criminals and make people feel safer and actually be safer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"