Dear Editor,
In Crewe SW and Wistaston, over a period of three years (6/2019-5/2022), Cheshire Police failed to solve a single burglary.
The best performance locally was Nantwich SW, but even there 60 of the 70 burglaries went unsolved.
In Cheshire East overall, 80% of burglaries, 94% of personal theft and 98% of bike theft went unsolved over the same three years.
Victims’ watchdogs said the “shocking” data showed that theft from the person had been “effectively decriminalised” even though it could cause serious financial loss, distress and upset to victims.
Dame Vera Baird, the Victims’ Commissioner, said: “Theft should be the bread and butter of neighbourhood policing. For many of us, reporting theft will be our first and only engagement with our local police and the response will shape our impressions of the police and their effectiveness.
“Faced with such low rates of suspects being identified, punished or charged, many victims will wonder whether theft has effectively been decriminalised and feel like victims are increasingly being left to fend for themselves while thieves offend with impunity.”
Over the last five years the Cheshire Police Commissioners (PCC), both Labour and Tory, have made Council taxpayers pay inflation busting increases.
The Police Council Tax has gone up by 7.3%, 13.6%, 5% , 7.1% and 4.4% over the last five years.
The Police Council Tax has gone up by eye-watering amounts each year but the Police performance has gone through the floor.
The Cheshire PCC and the Chief Constable need to dramatically and urgently improve their record on solving robberies,burglaries and theft ………or heads at the top will have to roll.
The people of Cheshire expect and demand a much better performance from their Police Service.
Yours faithfully,
Cllr Brian Silvester
Putting Crewe First
This has been circulating locally for the last few days and yet no comment from the PCC. The PCC readily goes to news outlets to say what he is doing, having photo opportunities, attracting more funds, monitoring the Police service, increasing his Deputies salary – perhaps he could make a statement? etc.
I have said before that at £700k plus per year and rising it is an expensive on-cost that could be better spent on front line officers or saved.
We all await with great interest the PCC’s comments.
I must agree, the police share of Council tax rises year on year yet their performance figures are diabolical, the deputy pcc pay rise sticks in my throat.