Cuts made blue line just too thin

THE problem is there are too few police officers after nearly eight years of cuts.

The Met is down 1,200 to 1,400. It has also lost 30% of its support officers, meaning officers do not get admin support and end up with work that takes them off the street.

And 50% of PCSOs have gone while antiterror units are also taking more police officers.

It all means there is hardly any proactive policing or patrolling, and officers are not getting local gossip. People do not see officers on the streets for days at a time.

As a result, knife and street crime is not suppressed.

It’s blatantly obvious that if officers are seen doing policing, people think: “I will not commit crime.” Theresa May was warned and did not listen. The police service is going to collapse and it will take forever to put the cat back in the bag. The knife crime issue requires longer-term education through schools, colleges and community groups. But that will all be wasted if there is still mayhem on the streets. There is scope for harsher punishment for those caught with a knife for the first time, but so many are under 18. Longer sentences do not always deter people. More chance of being caught does. WARNED May