We need more police — MP
The Newark MP, Mr Patrick Mercer, is calling for more police in Newark and Sherwood amid concern that crime rates in north Nottinghamshire are falling slower than in other parts of the county.
Mr Mercer is in talks with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary over the allocation of officers in Nottinghamshire.
Mr Mercer said: “B Division (Newark, Sherwood and Bassetlaw) is under-resourced and I don’t think that anyone can argue against that.”
He said concern was building over the police’s difficulty in tackling anti-social behaviour, vandalism and burglary, given the number of officers available.
The police say of 1,603 frontline officers across four divisions in Nottinghamshire, 263 are dedicated to B Division.
Mr Mercer, who last night chaired a public meeting on policing in Newark, said: “The force’s resources don’t match its tasks at hand.
“Nottinghamshire Police has had great successes in dealing with the hotspot areas of Nottingham and Mansfield but at what price when we all pay the same precept?
“The price has been at the expense of Newark and other far-flung places.
“It is in none of our interests that Newark continues to be under-policed, least of all that of the police.
“We have a marvellous new police station at Newark but what matters is what’s within it.
“There need to be officers based here, properly backed by Police Community Support Officers who must be available to them, and also backed by Specials whose role is adequately managed.
“This is no reflection on the outstanding individual police officers and support staff on B Division.”
Last week, the Advertiser reported that B Division had been given temporary call on the force’s Tactical Support Group to bolster its ranks while a long-term solution to a lack of officers was found.
Newark and Sherwood District Council earlier this year raised concerns about policing levels and inquiries by the Advertiser revealed there were sometimes only four officers covering the district.
HMIC worked closely with Nottinghamshire Police in 2005 and 2006 after the then chief constable, Steve Green, said the force was struggling to cope with a rise in violent crime.
On the advice of HMIC Inspector Denis O’Connor, the deputy chief constable for the West Midlands, Mr Chris Sims, was seconded for three months to Nottinghamshire to work alongside Mr Green to ensure the force was making the best use of resources.
Mr O’Connor is now the Chief Inspector for HMIC and, after overseeing the force successfully crack major crime, is understood to be keen to see the job through.
HMIC is understood to regard Nottinghamshire’s Chief Constable, Julia Hodson, as a capable and strong leader.
When pressed by the Advertiser, Mr Mercer said: “I am consulting with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and it is my opinion that the measures sought by HMIC four years ago may need to be repeated.
“HMIC has asked for a full report from my police-public meeting.”
An HMIC spokesman said: “HMIC monitors police performance across England and Wales and looks at police forces and authorities to see how well they are doing compared with others.
“We measure how safe and secure the public feel in a particular force.
“This process has led us to have involvement with a number of police forces and authorities, including Nottinghamshire.
“We acknowledge that there has been improvement in the city, but crime is not falling as fast in other areas of the county.
“As a result, we are in communication with Nottinghamshire Police about developing a convincing improvement plan.
“HMIC is closely monitoring the situation and will look at the force’s plans for making life better for the people of Nottinghamshire.”
Chief Superintendent Dave Wakelin, divisional commander for Newark, Sherwood and Bassetlaw, said overall crime in the division was down 14.6%.
He said: “My division’s Neighbourhood Policing teams, which include dedicated neighbourhood officers and PCSOs, continue to attend community meetings, hold beat surgeries and provide high visibility patrols in key areas to increase public confidence, accessibility and consultation.
“My intention, and their priority, is to address local issues such as anti-social behaviour, nuisance youths and underage drinking to find solutions that make a real difference to the community.
“We are well supported by Special Constables, community volunteers and staff from partner agencies who can provide additional resources to help us tackle demand and reduce crime.
“We have recently increased the numbers of officers on our response teams, those who deal with incidents requiring urgent or immediate resources 24 hours a day.
“We have a number of specialist roles including armed response officers, dog handlers, roads policing and public protection units at hand to support our aims and strengthen the frontline when necessary.
“I will continue to make best use of our resources, increase detections and continue to drive reductions in crime across Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood.”