'Crime could rise if police budget is capped'

Jun 3 2009 By Emma Heseltine

Surrey Police

A SURREY Police officer has warned crime could go up following news that 50 frontline jobs are to be axed due to the Government’s decision to restrict the county police budget.

Surrey Police Authority has seen its budget capped for the second year in a row, and is now taking legal advice on how best to challenge the decision.

One officer, who is involved in crime prevention, has spoken out to the Herald & News about his worries for the safety of the borough.

The officer, who is a front-line constable and wished to remain nameless to protect his job, said: “Certain roles, like the beat bobbies in busy areas like Staines and certain parts of Walton, will be kept, because they’re keeping crime down, and dealing first hand with people committing those crimes.

“But those officers in quieter areas, like some parts of Runnymede, might find their patrol areas are merged into bigger ones. I think people should be very worried about the state of their police force and the fact that they may start to see less of us around, and a rise in crime.”

Surrey Police Authority is pushing for a judicial review of the Government’s decision.

Chief Constable Mark Rowley said: “This is not a decision any chief constable wants to make. The 50 operational posts that I will have to lose will involve safer neighbourhood officers working with young people in schools and giving crime reduction advice, major crime investigators, officers working in Special Branch, the forensics department, and officers from roads policing.

“These cuts will undermine the resilience of the policing service Surrey residents currently have, and will result in officers being pulled away from other visible frontline duties to fulfil these specialist roles.”

Michael Williams, 20, was assaulted with a weapon in Braeside last August, and he says there are still not enough police officers on Runnymede streets. He said: “You can’t go getting rid of policemen from the streets; we need them there.

“The way I see it, there weren’t enough officers to stop me being attacked, and there still aren’t enough of them now. They need to be spending more money on more policemen, not less.”