Cops ‘unable to cope with rising crime’
POLICE are struggling to cope with reported crime due to a lack of resources, union chiefs warn.
A Police Federation study found the Northumbria, Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire, South and West Yorkshire and Humberside forces were handling more than 4,000 calls from 7am to 7.30am.
Andrea Breeze, of the Cleveland Federation, said: “Demand is massively outstripping resources.”
She said as well as tackling crime, officers looked for missing people and backed up the ambulance and fire services.
The Office for National Statistics said recorded crime was up 10% in 12 months to July, with violent crime up 18%.
At the same time, police numbers fell by 1,000.