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We now have three groups of uniformed people carrying out the policing of our community. Fully trained police officers; the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who are part of the Chief Constable’s Force; and Accredited Community Support Officers (ACSOs) under control of the Hampshire County Council.
We should be well policed but the reality is we are paying more for less and it is getting worse year by year in the New Forest.
Ten years ago, when I was a student on one of the top police courses in the country, the budget of a police force was calculated on 51% of overall costs coming from Central Government and the Community having to find the remaining 49%. There were no other costs. Now, around 31% comes from Central Government. The community pays the remaining 69% of our Chief Constable’s budget. However, in the New Forest we are paying towards the funding of PCSOs and the full costs of ACSOs estimated at around £100,000 per year to Hampshire County Council via our District Council.
Now, our police have extra paperwork and record-keeping tasks, such as monitoring registered sex offenders, but with no extra cash. It therefore comes as no surprise that policing of our communities is in decline.
I have recently visited senior police officers representing all parts of the Forest and have been out on patrol. I have spoken to Community Leaders and many residents. All appear to accept that crime is low in the Forest but that anti social behaviour and underage drinking is on the increase. There is a fear of crime. Action is needed.
My policing experience tells me visible policing acts as a deterrent, a preventative measure. It helps alleviate the fear of crime and combats crime displacement from areas that are effectively policed. Therefore the Government decision not to fund additional PCSOs has been unfortunate.
Low-level serial offenders often go undetected and unpunished. A visible police presence on our streets should help combat this. It therefore important that all agencies concerned with policing in the New Forest work in a co-ordinated way to ensure all incidents of anti social behaviour and underage drinking are fully recorded and action taken.
I would restore the ratio of funding of our police to 51% from Central Government and 49% from Local Authorities. A first step would be to ensure all additional tasks that have been heaped on the Chief Constable are centrally funded and are not at the expense of community policing.
At a time when dealing with Crime is high on every Party’s political agenda we should not be paying more for less policing in the New Forest. |
Terry, A very well written, thoughtful piece. I'm yet to be fully convinced about the value of ACSO's although I have recently attended a Hampshire County Council meeting where there seemed no doubt that the majority of Members appreciated them patrolling in their areas.I'm more worried about the future of the 101 number. I understand that the Government may not continue with the pilot. This would seriously undermine efforts that are being made locally to attack low level crime and anti-social behaviour.
David Harrison, Totton
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Terry, I appreciate what you say and would not detract from your argument except in one aspect. I do not think we get value for money from our psuedo poliemen under the guise of ACSO's. I feel we should support the Chief Constable and withdraw our support to HCC for ACSO's in favour of contributing to the PCSO's. who (if properly trained and selected) can be of greater use to the people in the issues that you identify. As far as 'where the taxes come from', it can be a bit of a red herring as we all pay for it from one tax or another. Until we identify a system of taxation along our party lines that will continue, and unless the people read their tax precepts in detail, they are unaware of the divisions between each authority or government. But it can get complex?
Mike Shand, Fordingbridge. |
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