Neighbourhood policing takes a big hit as a lack of funding causes Oakham to lose last police constable.

Speaking at the Leicestershire and Rutland Police and crime panel meeting yesterday, (Sept 23), Cllr Christine Wise (Lib Dem), who is a cabinet member on Rutland County Council revealed the town has recently lost its dedicated police constable. 

The increasing number of protests in Leicester, priorities on stopping violence against women and pressures on the budget, are behind neighbourhood officers often being pulled away from community duties to other incidents. 

In his report about neighbourhood policing, police and crime commissioner Rupert Matthews (Con) said financial pressures – the force is facing going more than £8m over budget – mean the numbers of neighbourhood officers may have to reduce. 

He told the police and crime panel that, although the neighbourhood policing had been protected, 'the time may come when neighbourhood policing has to take its share of the pain.' 

Cllr Wise said: "The neighbourhood policing for us in Rutland is key to keeping our low crime rate. They are part of the intelligence network and without that local network our crime rate would likely be much higher. 

"I am very sad that the day I sat down to read this report, I was told that we are not going to have an Oakham beat officer, the funding isn't there and so our county town will be the one area in Rutland not to have a beat officer.  

"The situation may have been remedied but it wasn't the last time I spoke to someone. I do think it is incredibly important that local people have a name. They have a name they can email if nothing else." 

Oakham will still have two police community support officers, plus a sergeant and an inspector. 



Chief Police Constable Rob Nixon will be putting together a document to outline the support residents will have from neighbourhood policing in the future. (Photo: LDRS)

The commissioner said he asked Leicestershire Police chief constable Rob Nixon to put together a document that explains to residents 'what it is that communities can expect from neighbourhood policing'. 

He said: "Obviously it won't be possible to deliver all of it every week, or every month as emergencies happen, people are sick and officers have to go on to training. But what is it that the community can expect from the Leicestershire police? 

"I think having that and distributing it to councillors, parish councils and Neighbourhood Watch, will help with trust and confidence and transparency and deal with the concern that 'you never see anyone.  

"But if you know that the PCSO [police community support officer] is supposed to visit your village once a fortnight, or if you are supposed to have a police officer at your parish council once a year, I think this will go a long way to dealing with it. Because in a low crime area you won't see the police, because the police go where there is crime and where they have a serious job to do." 

Asked whether he was confident there was sufficient resource in neighbourhood policing Mr Matthews, said: "The answer has got to be 'not really' because we have not been measuring it." 

But he said there has not been any 'obvious gaps.' 

He added that from the start of next month the police force would be recording when neighbourhood officers are taken off their beat to deal with other incidents.