Police priorities too often out of step with public needs

WHAT is the point of the police? It should be a ridiculous question but, sadly, no longer is. Police chiefs pushed for more money from Rachel Reeves, but were told they would only get a standard rise.

- Sam Lister

They did it very publicly, which shows their desperation, and there's no doubt successive governments have pick-pocketed police budgets for years.

Inevitably, senior officers warned yesterday they will now be forced to deprioritise crimes like shoplifting and phone theft while cutting park patrols and officers who work in schools.

But it's hard to believe that, even had they been given what they asked for, the public would notice a difference. Crime stories these days follow two themes — victims who cannot get the police to act, or ordinary people who find officers on their doorstep for upsetting someone. Sometimes, there will be a PC booted out of the force for being too tough on criminals. Occasionally there will be an horrific abuse of power by an officer. Combined, these things leave the public in despair.

Crime is soaring, but it appears from the outside that police forces now have little interest in catching crooks.

SOME crime is too “low level” to bother with, so if your bike is stolen, nothing will happen. But chances are, the theft of your £40,000 car will be treated the same way. Earlier this week, couple Mia Forbes Pirie and Mark Simpson told how they were forced to steal back their Jaguar E-Pace because the police were too busy.