Lack of police presence

Iam64

Don’t blame the police. Austerity has devastated all public services that together had the best chance of reducing crime and successful prosecutions
Police, family support, drug/alcohol services/mental health etc the list is endless
We can afford to have effective public services. It’s shameful to have governments that reduce investment in its people

Totally agree with this. My son and his partner are both police officers and they spend a great deal of their time dealing with incidents which would definitely come under the 'mental health' banner rather than what the general public would think of as actual 'crimes'. Don't blame the actual officers - they are still very much committed to their roles and doing the best they can under very trying circumstances.

If people vote for a low tax small state government, this is part of it, the police service is part of the state. Small state means smaller police service. This reduction in the police service was mainly carried out when Mrs May was home secretary.
Any time people like Jacob Reese Mogg talk about people keeping more of their own money, they mean a reduction in services provided by the state.

Iam64

Don’t blame the police. Austerity has devastated all public services that together had the best chance of reducing crime and successful prosecutions
Police, family support, drug/alcohol services/mental health etc the list is endless
We can afford to have effective public services. It’s shameful to have governments that reduce investment in its people

thanks for such a sensible post. I get absolutely fed up with this 'lets talk' stuff regarding mental health. You cannot even access bog standard counselling, let alone anything else

I live on the outskirts of Liverpool we have had no open police stations for over fifteen years. So it's no surprise that crime has increased there is no police presence at all on our streets. No deterrent at all meaning the obvious is a free for all who commit crimes.

Don’t blame the police. Austerity has devastated all public services that together had the best chance of reducing crime and successful prosecutions
Police, family support, drug/alcohol services/mental health etc the list is endless
We can afford to have effective public services. It’s shameful to have governments that reduce investment in its people

CoolCoco

Police numbers have been cut and the numbers are still low. Police stations closed, experienced officers leaving in droves, PCSOs cut who were at least a presence. Court backlogs means people not prosecuted and out on the street. Prisons are privatised and run for a profit, so no rehabilitation, education or training or treatment for mental health issues. Are we surprised about the rise in crime? Don't lay it at the door of the police.

Add to that the 20% decrease in real terms to police pay over the last decade and the relentless criticism from the government, media and general public, and I’m astounded that anyone still looks at the police service as a career option. Morale has never been so low.

Knife carriers do not walk the streets with knife in hand

It beggers belief, like everyone else I an saddened and sickened at the level of violence in this country. Stabbings are on the news so regularly with victims ranging from children to the elderly. What in Gods name is going on !!!!?
Yes stiff penalties for offenders and of course very importantly for any one found on the streets carrying a knife .
I agree mental health services are not adequate! Is care in the community working ?

I agree Annie. Statistically, the ethnicity of those who made most fuss about it is that of the majority of those on whom offensive weapons and/or drugs might be found. This is not a racist comment, merely a statement of fact.

Hellogirl, if this person is found to be mentally unfit to stand trial, or found not guilty due to insanity, he will be incarcerated in a secure mental hospital during Her Majesty’s pleasure. Rest assured he will not ‘get away with it’.

We had a little girl of 9 stabbed to death here in Boston about 3 weeks ago, just playing in the street with her sister. The perpetrator`s family are now claiming mental illness, so he`ll probably get away with it.

Police numbers have been cut and the numbers are still low. Police stations closed, experienced officers leaving in droves, PCSOs cut who were at least a presence. Court backlogs means people not prosecuted and out on the street. Prisons are privatised and run for a profit, so no rehabilitation, education or training or treatment for mental health issues. Are we surprised about the rise in crime? Don't lay it at the door of the police.

Stop and search was usual, now it causes uproar