The thinnest blue lines need thickening

EARLIER this week, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir David Norgrove, ruled that the Prime Minister mislead the public over spending on the police force.

“The prime minister’s statement … could have led the public to conclude incorrectly that central government is providing an additional £450m for police spending in 2018/19,” he said.

In a tweet, Labour Councillor Andy

Croy said: “Wokingham deserves better. Thames Valley Police is down 357 Officers and 99 PCSOs since 2010. You can’t buy security on the cheap.”

This week’s we focus on some horrific crime and anti-social behaviour taking place across the borough. Judging from comments on social media and our letters page, you are fed up with a lack of police action.

But if officer numbers are down and police cannot do what they used to do as effectively as they used to do then something needs to change.

The thin blue line has been getting thinner and thinner since 2010 and the number of officers is going down.

Do we need to see Guardian Angels on our streets? Those will long memories will recall how unpopular they were in 1980s London.

There has to be an answer. Our police need a thicker line to protect us all.