The cost goes up but where are our police?

A couple of weeks ago I asked somewhat jokingly ‘Can police do more?’

Last week, along with most other residents of RBWM, a council tax demand for 2024/25 dropped through my letterbox.

I see that the so-called police will be costing me £448.80 this year – up 5.1 per cent from last year, which is a greater increase than any of the other charges, such as the Fire & Rescue Authority (3 per cent).

So, what the hell do we all get for this money?

I practically never see any sign of them anywhere. Do you?

Where are they? What ARE they doing? As I said, usually when you call them and wait 40 minutes to speak to a call centre operator, the usual response seems to be ‘There’s nothing we can do about it’.

Or maybe they will suggest you should ‘report it online’ at the website: policethereisnothingwecandoaboutit.co.uk

As I said previously, I’m sure a small minority of officers really do care about solving crime and serving the community, but they are not typical of the so-called force today.

There’s a huge impressive looking building in the centre of Maidenhead that says ‘POLICE’ across it.

Are they all hiding in there, tapping at keyboards, eating doughnuts?

Where are they?

Maybe eventually the building will be converted into yet more of those famously much needed homes and it could be called

something like ‘Rozzers Place’, ‘The

Copse’ or for older residents, maybe ‘Dixon House’?

Also, perhaps The Advertiser could offer a small prize to anyone who manages to snap, say two officers walking along the street in Maidenhead?

They could feature it in The Big Picture. I suspect that I am not alone in really resenting being regularly forced to pay this money for a virtually non-existent service.

But I suppose there’s nothing we can do about it?

MALCOLM STRETTEN

Riverside Maidenhead