IT’S CRIMINAL WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MODERN POLICE FORCE

ON A daily basis we hear of rising crime, diminishing arrests, cautions instead of a criminal charge and the disappearing policeman. None of this is denied but the explanation is always the same. It is the Government’s fault for constantly reducing budgets.

These ever- smaller budgets force the Dibbles to indulge in stunts like painting their fingernails, riding dodgem cars and wearing furry masks. Then up pops that wretched little spoilsport the researched fact. Don’t they always get in the way of a first- class official excuse? In 1961 there was one copper for every 807 people in England and Wales. Today there is one for every 462 people. So far more police officers per thousand head of population than we had 56 years ago.

I remember 1961. I had just come out of National Service. I was a cub reporter in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. There were policemen all over the place. The resident copper in almost every village and bicycle patrols ( no mobile phones but they had whistles to raise the alarm). The urban police stations were open and staffed, the town’s pavements patrolled.

So what happened? Why the thousands of shuttered cop shops? The foot patrol a memory? The uniformed officer ( if at all) speeding past you in a patrol car with his get- out- of- my- way siren screaming? Where are they all? Well basically they are shut inside filling in forms. Not one or two – mountains of them. A bulging boxfile for the most minor infringement.

So the reaction is: don’t bother about crime. Vandalism, burglary, sorry mate, not worth us bothering about. If you don’t like it, taxpayer, pop into the nearest station and complain to the Super. Oops, sorry, it closed last week.