Will success in crime reduction mean less neighbourhood policing?

Police statistics showing substantial reduction in local crime rates, and often disbelieved even by senior police staff, could lead to lower levels of policing, fear some.

Some local councillors in Canvey, Essex, have questioned crime-cutting figures, claiming they are costing the borough extra police officers. Dave Blackwell and Peter Greig, of the Canvey Independant Party, claim that not every crime is reported, so cfrime levels apppear lower than than they are, with the possible result that policing levels will be reduced..

The councillors spoke out at a crime and disorder reduction partnership meeting held to produce an action plan to tackle local policing priorities identified in a residents' survey.

The local council highlighted a claimed 21 per cent drop in crime over the last three years in the area and emphasised that the borough was a "low crime area". However, Mr Blackwell said: "Every time we say it is a low crime area we lessen our chance of getting more police. You get some crimes where people can't be bothered to ring the police because they are fed up with reporting so many things and seeing nothing done."

For the rest of this news item from South Essex Echo, click here