Police officers in England and Wales could be taken off the beat to do desk work in stations in a more old fashioned policing method, news this morning revealed.
It is estimated that police could be halving the amount of time that they spend on the streets, isolating themselves from the community.
The decision was made after the government announced that police reform was working and crime statistics had fallen.
We took to the streets of Wimbledon to ask people what they thought about the news and whether they feel there are enough police officers on their streets.
Do you feel there are enough police officers patrolling in your area?
YES NO
70% 30%
Paul Scott, a 65-year-old driving instructor from Wimbledon, felt strongly that there were not enough police officers on the road and he wants to see more.
He said: “I don’t think there are anywhere near enough of them around.
“I’d like to see more personally, especially on the roads.
“As a driving instructor it’s something I notice a lot, and I think more of them on the roads would only be a good thing.”
PAUL SCOTT: Thinks we need more police officers on the road
However Tooting bar worker Reece Sheppard, 29, sympathised with police officers who patrol the streets.
“There are definitely enough of them, and I think they do a good job too,” he said.
“I bet it can get quite unpleasant walking around the streets when it’s cold and wet outside, so fair play to them.”
Darren Sawyer, a 44-year-old window cleaner from Southfields, said that he does not see many police officers patrolling in the quiet area where he lives, but does see them often whilst he is out working.
He said: “I live in a generally quiet area of town, so I don’t tend to see them patrolling too much.
“But I do think that there are enough of them on the streets to re-assure the public of their safety.”
Retired theatre worker, Howard Southern of Wimbledon, 74, was full of praise for the local police force, complimenting them on the work he sees them do out on the streets of Wimbledon.
“I think there are definitely enough of them around, and they do a good job too,” he said.
“I often see them booking people for things like dropping ash on the floor and other small things like that.”
HOWARD SOUTHERN: Thinks there are enough police officers doing a good job
Edward Harris, a 24-year-old retail worker from Ealing, would like to see more police officers out but later in the day.
He said: “Maybe we could do with a few more around, especially in the evenings.
“I often go out to bars or clubs on the weekends and you tend to hear about stories of people getting into trouble after a few drinks, like fighting or sometimes causing public damage.
“Of course you do see police officers outside big night clubs, but perhaps those kind of problems could be limited if there were a few more.”
Engineer Christopher Hall from Ealing, 25, likes what he sees from his nearby police force.
“There are enough of them around, I often see them out and about quite regularly,” he said.
“I’ve always found them to be friendly and approachable people too which is how it should be working with members of the public.”
CHRISTOPHER HALL: Likes what he sees from police officers in his area
In agreement was 68-year-old retired construction worker Peter Cross from Wimbledon, who has a life-long friend who worked in the police force.
He said: “I think that there are definitely enough police patrolling our streets.
“A good friend of mine was a police officer for more than 20 years, so I’ve seen first hand how hard they work.
“They do an excellent job and I think they’re a credit to our community.”
Harriet Watkins, a 31-year-old cleaner from Wimbledon, sees no reason why the public should question decisions made by the government or authorities.
She said: “If the decision to pull police off the street was made then they must have good reason to do it, so I’d trust them that they’re making that decision in the best interest of the public.”
However David Spencer, a 42-year-old security worker from Wimbledon, had the opposite opinion, believing that the streets were the best place for police work.
“I saw this on the news this morning actually,” he said.
“I’d imagine they must have their reasons for making that decision, but I often think of police being most effective out on the streets.
“I don’t know how effective they would be in limiting street crime sitting behind a desk.”
Rachel Williams from Surrey, 29, who works in marketing, admitted that she felt safer with regular police patrols in her area.
She said: “There are enough of them out on the streets to help people to feel safe.
“I think it’s a case of giving people a piece of mind knowing that there’s always a police officer nearby if you need them.”
Featured image courtesy of Steve Evans, with thanks
