EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblower reveals to cut police numbers in coastal towns
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Exclusive by Gerry
Warren
A whistleblower has revealed
controversial plans to significantly cut the number of police
officers based at Herne Bay who cover the coastal towns to
‘scarily’ low levels.
Now the police area commander, Ch
Supt John Molloy has been forced to admit he is considering taking
away staff to bolster policing in Canterbury and Thanet where, he
says, the need is greater.
The details have emerged in an
anonymous letter believed to be from a Herne Bay-based officer or
civilian who claims the proposal is to take away 17 patrol officers
by cutting the existing five teams of five down to four teams of
two.
He or she also claims the plans go
further by having no officers working from Herne Bay after 2am.
The letters says: "I am concerned
that somebody is going to get hurt due to these proposed cuts, be
it a member of the public or a police officer, public confidence
will nose dive and once more the unsavourary residents will realise
the lack of police presence.
"Crime in the early hours will
increase and most of all I am stunned by the senior management’s
view that the coastal area is a sleepy backwater with hardly any
crime."
The writer accuses the East Kent
policing management team of running the area like a business rather
than a public service and accuses them of ‘losing touch’ with
frontline policing.
But Ch Supt Molloy says he is
having to consider re-balancing his resources to deploy officers
where they are most needed.
The revelation has shocked
Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier
Mr Brazier said he thought the
proposals were ‘deeply disturbing’ and said he would be writing to
the chief superintendent to arrange an urgent meeting.
Parish council chairmen at
Broomfield and Chestfield have also reacted angrily to the
proposals.
But Ch Supt Molloy says he is
confident cutting the number of Herne Bay-based officers would not
have a detrimental affect on crime on the coast because extra
patrols could be drafted in when needed.
Read the full story and get
the full reaction in Thursday's Gazette
Tuesday, June 30 2009
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