‘THE BLUE LINE IS GETTING THINNER AND THINNER’

3,000 in call for action to combat crime

A TOP police officer is set to meet families concerned about crime – with people being urged not to take matters into their own hands.

A Facebook group called Policing the Streets of Stone has been sharing information on incidents in the town in recent weeks.

But Staffordshire Police have also taken to social media to say they do not want members of the public confronting others due to the potential risks.

Policing operations in Stone have resulted in a series of arrests in recent days in connection with suspected theft, handling of stolen goods and possession of drugs.

And Chief Inspector Giles Parsons, who heads up Stafford Borough’s neighbourhood policing team, will meet with residents later this month.

He said: “We’re grateful for the support and information we’ve had from the public. Please continue to let us know about any suspicious behaviour, but let us deal with incidents.”

Town, borough and county councillor Jill Hood, above, highlighted the situation in Stone at a Staffordshire County Council meeting.

She said: “We have been going through really bad times with crime.

“I don’t like to say that publicly, but it’s the harsh reality of Covid.

“We have these thugs, criminals, drug pushers, drug dealers and petty criminals that think under the cover of Covid they can go around our town, our area, break into people’s properties, steal whatever they see, and challenge residents who catch them in the process.

“It really is an awful time, to the point that midweek we had a Facebook page which is challenging the police now touching on 3,000 members, which is huge for a page.

“The upshot is we will be meeting with Chief Inspector Giles Parsons.

“But what worries me the most is the fact that since this group of extremely worried residents who just want to protect their families and their properties, we’ve had an overwhelming number of arrests and detained criminals. “Yes, some of them are released the day after, but we have areas where you can look at your watch and know that the local group of drug dealers are collecting, buying and selling.

“It’s atrocious and Stone has never been like that – we’re getting a reputation.”

Fellow members welcomed the news that Staffordshire Police had received a good rating in its latest inspection.

But Councillor Hood said: “These young police officers, these brave men and women, have to police such an area that it’s impossible to do their job properly. The blue line is getting thinner and thinner.

“We really need more police on the beat. I see that we’re recruiting, but it’s not enough and I really worry for our police force.”