REJECT POLICE DESK CLOSURE
CHESHIRE Police are proposing to close 11 helpdesks at stations around the county. Only five will remain open. Each will serve a population of over 200,000.
This is a crazy idea.
The helpdesks should remain open as long as the police station is open each day.
There would be no extra cost because officers would be in the police station in any case.
Many Cheshire residents like the reassurrance that they can visit a local police station to report a crime. Many prefer to speak face to face to the police officer and some are deterred from reporting a crime if they have to do it on-line or via the phone.
This mass closure of helpdesks is being proposed at a time when crime is on the increase.
For the year ending June 2021, compared with the pre-Covid year ending June 2019, there was a huge 12% increase in total crime.
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is an increasing problem across the country and in towns like Crewe. In 2020, in the UK, police recorded over two million incidents of anti-social behaviour – the highest in seven years – while crime survey data reveals some 13.6million adults have witnessed or experienced anti-social behaviour in the last 12 months.
Also shamefully, just 5% of burglaries are actually solved. So 95% of burglars get off scot-free. No wonder crime is increasing.
The Conservative police commissioner was only elected last year. He never mentioned he wanted to close down all but five of the police helpdesks. He probably didn’t because he realised that he would not win, if he had.
The Conservative police commissioner has recently announced a huge 4.4% rise in the police council tax. He is asking the residents of Cheshire to dig deep into their pockets to pay yet more in council tax and what will most residents of Cheshire get? A much reduced service. Most will have their helpdesk closed.
To add insult to injury the Conservative police commissioner has just given his deputy an eyewatering 33% increase in his salary. He now receives almost £1,000 per week.
The Conservative police commissioner’s annual salary is a whopping £76,500 a year.
This hairbrained proposal, which can only make Cheshire a less safe place to live, is out to consultation until 27/3/21. I urge people to respnd to the survey and reject the proposal out of hand.
Brian Silvester