Force ‘nowhere near where it needs to be’

A CHIEF constable has admitted the service his force is providing the public is “nowhere near where it needs to be” and blamed austerity-driven budget cuts.

Cleveland Police’s Mike Veale became the latest in a series of chiefs to sound the alarm over police budgets, saying he would not be showing the bravery his officers deserved if he did not speak out about the lack of resources they must cope with.

And he urged the Government to help, saying: “My message is clear; give us the tools and we will do the job.”

He was speaking out after a BBC story showed that Hartlepool – a town within the Cleveland force area – has to manage with 10 patrol officers for a population of 90,000.

The story showed locals using vigilante patrols to prevent crime in their streets and featured people who were arrested in the town being driven to Middlesbrough because the custody suite in Hartlepool has been mothballed.

In a statement about the state of modern policing, Mr Veale, who was previously chief constable of Wiltshire Police, praised the “utmost courage” his officers show daily.

After he moved to Cleveland, he urged his officers to be on the front foot against crime and vowed to get rid of a culture of risk aversion.

And he said the role of policing had changed, with fewer bobbies on the beat than in the past as officers were needed to investigate online crimes and detect murders and rapes.

He said: “These are complex issues and while simply crying ‘austerity’ is not good enough no one in policing today can claim it isn’t a factor.

“Forces across the country including Cleveland are more efficient and more effective than ever before but despite this efficiency the service we are providing the public is nowhere near where it needs to be.

“I would not be exhibiting the courage that my officers and staff deserve if I continue to say we have enough resources, if I continue with this commentary that things in policing are OK. They are not OK.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We are on the front foot in engaging with the police and recognise the changing demands they are facing.

“There is £1bn more of public money going into policing than three years ago and the Home Secretary has been clear that he will prioritise police funding.

“As the Chancellor noted in the Budget, we will review police spending power at the provisional police funding settlement in December.”

Police chiefs up and down the country have spoken publicly of their concern about rising demands and shrinking budgets.

Earlier this month, West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable Dee Collins joined the growing list of voices, telling about “the criticality that policing is now getting to”.

Research by the West Yorkshire force showed crime levels in the county were expected to rise by nearly a fifth by 2021.