Residents could tell police what to investigate
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Policing and crimal
justice minister Nick Herbert
by Andy Gray
People in Kent could soon be telling police which crimes to
investigate.
The “neighbourhood takes charge” scheme has been a success in
Holland, where it has helped cut crime by 70% in its first year of
operation.
Police minister Nick Herbert was due to visit Rotterdam this
week to explore the initiative that allows communities to use
20 police hours each week to tackle problems on their behalf.
Kent Chief Police Constable Ian Learmonth said he is keen to
find out about the scheme and arranged for a team of officers to
visit the Dutch town of Bolnes where it was piloted.
He has also set up a meeting so his counterparts in Holland can
brief officers in Kent about the groundbreaking
programme.
He said: “We are planning to host an event so that a wider range
of partners can meet and hear directly from the Bolnes team about
their style and achievements. This has the potential to
significantly change our approach to community safety in the
UK.”
In Rotterdam, a group of residents meet police and council each
month to tell them where they want officers to patrol and which
crimes they want addressed.
It is said to tally with the coalition’s big society
agenda and is designed to make police more accountable.
Opponents of the scheme have said it should be left to police to
decide which crimes were worth investigating.
Cllr David Naghi, Liberal Democrat representative for
Maidstone’s East ward, said: “It seems like a good idea and one
that’s worth a trial in this country.
“But at the end of the day whatever the public tell police it’s
up to officers to act on that information.
“Ultimately, as always, it should be left to the professionals
to decide if a crime needs looking into.”
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Thursday, February 02 2012
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