LOCAL COUNCILLOR CROSSES THE THINNER BLUE LINE ON POLICING

For well over a year or so I have been reporting news on this website and so It's fair to say I have a pretty decent understanding of just what our police forces are up against when they are out there doing their jobs, not only in Salford and Greater Manchester but up and down the country.

I see it everyday in press releases and they are just the tip of the iceberg when you consider just how many calls per day they are tasked with dealing with.

With ever increasing cuts to their funding, huge stresses being put upon them by government to do more and more with less and less, as officers leave their roles due to being overworked, exhausted and underappreciated, it is pretty sickening and damn right insulting to hear one of our own local Councillors telling the police that they should "Stop Moaning" and "Live Within Their Means".

Councillor Robin Garrido, who represents the electorate in Boothstown and Ellenbrook made the comments during yesterdays Full Meeting of Council (10/10/18).

Quote

 "There’s a lot more that can be done by the police to help solve the problems.

"I think it’s about time they stopped moaning about resources and got on with the job and started organising themselves more efficiently."

"It seems to me that they need to start learning to live within their means. They have to start learning to use their resources in the best possible way."

Meanwhile back in the real world the service has been cut to the bone, with it being revealed earlier this month that the force is no longer investigating some types of crime due to not having the resources to do so.

They are being forced to prioritise crimes that they consider they can get a more likely positive outcome on, which is leaving many feeling that they are being let down.

As a result of these cuts, crime across the region has increased since 2017 by 31 percent, back in 2008 the force had over 8000 officers to deal with crimes, today it has little over 6000 and they expected to take on the same workload of the estimated 10,000 officers needed.

To tell this obviously overstretched work force that they should be doing more with less is like a smack in the teeth.

Earlier this year we had totally out of control youths rioting in Walkden, two officers were hospitalised as a result, not long after a similar occurrence happened in Eccles and a man was assaulted.

The police tried to show an increased presence in both cases and it seems to have worked to some degree. But those extra officers were drafted in from other areas and ultimately other jobs, this in turn could put the public at risk and in the very least it results in fewer officers available in their own areas.

This clearly showed that when you put an increased police presence on the streets it works, the kids moved on and the situations in both cases were diffused, you can have as much technology as you like but the most simple and cost effective solution is to have extra boots on the ground.

The Councillor is probably more than aware of the current crimes being reported by people in his own area, with reports being made on a near daily basis of thefts from cars, attempted and successful burglaries on homes as well as an increase in reports of Anti Social behaviour with drug paraphernalia being found around the area.

However the Councillor should thank himself lucky that he covers a relatively quiet patch of the City as in other areas like Pendleton, Ordsall and Broughton the situation is far far worse and I can't help but notice that some of these areas are those bearing the worst brunt of the Governments Austerity measures.

Alas though these crimes are not being dealt with simply because the police really do not have the resources to tackle them and the criminals know that.

Yes there are some areas in which technology and streamlining of the service can make improvements but for the most part you really do need officers on patrol. 

One of the largest complaints I read about on the Salford Online group is that of crimes like bike and car thefts not being investigated. Maybe, just maybe, if there were adequate officers to be dealing with them then our crime rates would be far lower?

Criminals in Salford seem to be going about their unlawful business unchallenged. 

Earlier this week police successfully arrested a 16 year old boy who they suspect had been involved in multiple phone thefts in Salford, he is just one of many out there doing it though and the police don't have the resources to deal with them all.

So in the long run, WE the public suffer, we complain when we can't get hold of an officer or it takes an hour to get through to 101 but the sad reality is that the police are out there trying their hardest to cope under ever increasing pressures to "Do More" and "Live Within Their Means".

Telling our hard working over stretched police force that they should be doing more whilst at the same time supporting a Government that is shredding them to pieces and cutting them to the bone is just simply madness, it would be hilariously funny if it was a joke, but sadly I don't think it is.

We should be applauding them for at least attempting to maintain some kind of law and order.

The police forces across the land are not Oliver Twist characters with begging bowls forever asking for more, they are one of the most important public services we have and they are only asking for the means to carry out their duties.

Remember, they do the best they can with what they have. Give them more if you want to see them do better.